Judging by the comments on our articles and tweets the last few months, most of you are clearly frustrated with how Dallas’ 2022 offseason has gone so far. Given the current mood of Cowboys Nation, tone-deaf comments yesterday by Stephen Jones serve more as gasoline on the fire than providing whatever comfort or confidence he’d intended.
In a radio interview, Jones stated that the Cowboys aren’t done yet in free agency. This is certainly possible given their recent history, but also a somewhat hollow statement given the lack of difference-makers still available on the dwindling market and Dallas’ miserly approach thus far.
But the big misstep in Stephen’s interview was when he said the following:
“I don’t think you ever win the Super Bowl in the offseason.”
Oh Stephen. Stevie Boy… no, no, no, no, no, no, no…
This front office doesn’t get to use the “S.B. word” anymore. Not after 26 years. Not after failing to even make it to the NFC Championship Game in that same timespan.
I get the sentiment; seemingly winning and losing the offseason is an annual topic that many times doesn’t translate to results. How many times through the years have we mocked Washington for crowning themselves after big offseason moves?
But sadly, the Dallas Cowboys are now in the same camp as their storied rivals when it comes to futility. And with an increasingly bitter fanbase, casually dismissing the importance of talent acquisition was a poor strategic move for one of the team’s top executives.
The balance of arrivals and departures so far this offseason is rightfully concerning. The odds of Dallas adding someone in the upcoming draft who can provide the same immediate impact as Micah Parsons, or even close to it, are low. That leaves us looking at the exits of Amari Cooper, La’el Collins, and Randy Gregory and wondering how the Cowboys can really claim to be better or even equally competitive in 2022.
Yes, the team went 12-5 last year and won the NFC East. That’s cute.
Getting outclassed by the NFC West in your last two playoff appearances is the more telling fact. Winning this decayed division every now and then is an easy ticket to the postseason but it hasn’t translated to being a true contender in the conference.
Unfortunately, it feels like the Jones family is again banking on winning a weak NFC East and hoping for better results in the playoffs. But hope and prayers are meaningless if you don’t take action on your own behalf; the Cowboys can’t keep leaving themselves on the razor’s edge of contender status.
The salary cap is real but it’s something to be skillfully navigated. Dallas’ approach to roster management is becoming almost cowardly at this point, making us shockingly long for the days when Jerry Jones’ influence was stronger.
It’s also disheartening when you look at the man that the front office thinks is going to squeeze a winner out of these assets. Mike McCarthy is an Aaron Rodgers away from being someone’s offensive coordinator or maybe commentating USFL games; there’s nothing that indicates he will make a team greater than the sum of its parts.
That’s why the parts are so important, Stephen. That’s why the offseason, while not the deciding factor in championship success, is critical in a league that has designed itself around parity. Superior talent can make the difference, and it has to when you lack superior coaching.
I know that. We all know that.
Why don’t you?
