Now that we’re past the initial frenzy phase of NFL free agency, it’s time to focus on the draft. The Dallas Cowboys weren’t heavily involved in the free agent-free for all because they never really are, so once again, they’ll be looking to the draft to fill some holes in their roster. Like the one Randy Gregory left when he bounced out to Denver, leaving Dallas Jerry Jones holding the bag.
But this year’s draft process will be a tad bit different. McCarthy is on the road this year, traveling to different schools to watch prospects in person. He’ll visit Mississippi State, Mississippi, and Penn State this week. Last week McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn attended Georgia’s pro day together.
McCarthy has even stated that this is the most involvement he’s had in the draft, and he seems to be enjoying the experience.
“I want to see as many prospects as I can,” McCarthy said. “This is the most involved I’ve been with the draft. It’s awesome.”
This should be viewed as a good sign for McCarthy, especially after the first two years of his tenure in Dallas and being viewed as nothing more than a head coach in title only. Everybody knows the pecking order when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones, Jerry Jones… Jerry Jones again, then Stephen Jones. The head coach is there because Jerry doesn’t want to stand on the sideline for three hours every week.
As a longtime Cowboys fan, even though I struggle with it at this point, I like this show of exuberance from McCarthy. Whether it’s legit or just another analytics scam from coach McCarthy, I’m glad he’s showing fans in Dallas something. Hey, I rip because I care. But just the act of going out on the road during the offseason and scouting potential prospects more than just one or two times is a great thing.
We’re at the point where most people wonder what McCarthy actually does. McCarthy doesn’t call plays (this was his specialty in Green Bay), his original DC was fired because the scheme didn’t match their defensive talent, then he wasn’t even allowed to hire a replacement. Quinn was Jones’ pick. So, this interest he’s shown on the road leading to the draft is refreshing.
McCarthy lucked into the sweetest gig in the NFL and North American professional sports. Yes, I say that with a straight face. Please don’t mistake sweetest with best. You could call it the most glamorous. Although Dallas isn’t even close to being the best team on an NFL field. Yet, they are the most valuable sports franchise residing in this country. That’s not an opinion. It’s based on data.
It really is remarkable how a team that’s been mediocre for far longer than they were good under Jones can still be the No. 1 ticket across all of the pro leagues we have in America. AT&T Stadium is always packed, and the ratings for Cowboys games are consistently ranked toward the top in the NFL. The Cowboys get more national exposure than anybody and haven’t made consecutive postseason appearances since the 2006 and 2007 campaigns.
Do you think McCarthy wants to give all that up? Of course not. But it seems like he finally realized he needs to do a little more publicly, especially since it felt like he could have been fired following another disappointing year. Although it won’t amount to much of anything.
We all know the Jones family will end up drafting whomever they (mainly Jerry) fall in love with. Especially in the first couple rounds of the draft. That’s how Jerry operates. I’m sure the idea of letting football folks handle football decisions has never crossed Jones’ mind. So, ultimately all this extra work by McCarthy won’t mean much, but it looks good. That’s all that matters in Dallas anyway.