JERRY JONES’ FAILED TRADE DEADLINE: COWBOYS’ SUPER BOWL CHANCES THREATENED?
Prior to the trade deadline on Halloween, Cowboys’ Owner – and faux General Manager — Jerry Jones, declared he was fine standing pat.
“I’m not seeing anything right at this moment,” Jones said just hours before the deadline on 105.3 The Fan. “I see us right now having a pat hand.”
So here’s the question, Cowboys Nation: How are we feeling now that Dallas is 5-3 and have lost to the Eagles and 49ers?
The answer is: Not good. Because “standing pat” does not win Super Bowls in today’s NFL.
While other teams made moves to improve their roster going into the second half of the season, the Cowboys did nothing.
That decision could just come back to haunt them in January.
GOOD PRE-SEASON SIGNINGS
Jones’ touted the pre-season acquisitions of Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks. He should be proud of those moves.
They were great signings and the reason why Dallas has a shot to make the playoffs.
But since then, Trevon Diggs was lost for the year to injury. Michael Gallup is still a shadow of his former self.
The offensive line has some serious health issues. The running game is nearly non-existent.
The Cowboys’ tight end room is a mess. Jake Ferguson is starting to show up, but that is it.
Peyton Hendershot is injured. Sean McKeon is a non-factor.
Luke Schoonmaker is thisclose to being labeled a bust along with fellow Michigan rookie, defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
The trade deadline was when the Cowboys’ front office needed to make a move or two to shore up what should be a Super Bowl run this year.
Any general manager in any sport improves his team in this situation whenever he can. But not the Cowboys’ general manager.
Because Dallas doesn’t have a general manager and hasn’t since early 1989 when Tex Schramm left the team.
MOVES WERE NEEDED
The Cowboys’ offensive line is not blowing open holes for Tony Pollard or Rico Dowdle to run through on a consistent basis.
A move could have been made for an experienced lineman to shore up the line.
But the Cowboys stood pat.
Dallas is having major issues scoring in the red zone.
A veteran running back could have been brought in. Derrick Henry might have been available.
He might have gotten the ball and scored instead of that fourth down pass that came up inches short on Sunday.
But the Cowboys stood pat.
Yes, there was pass interference on the play.
But, if Luke Schoonmaker takes just one more step into the endzone before breaking to his left, it’s a clear touchdown and not inches short.
A veteran tight end makes sure he’s in the end zone there. Zach Ertz was likely available at the deadline.
But the Cowboys stood pat.
The same play also highlighted another area of need Dallas failed to address the offensive line. Brandin Cooks was wide open for a touchdown.
Prescott likely never saw him because of the pressure from Steele’s side as shown here:
If Steele and that side of the line pick up that blitz, Cooks has an easy touchdown and Dallas wins that game.
Terence Steele is clearly not 100% right, coming off an injury. Yet the Cowboys signed him to a 5-year, $82.5 million contract.
OVERPAYING FOR DAMAGED GOODS
Overpaying players coming off of injuries without seeing how they’ve recovered is a recurring issue in Dallas.
And here is where Michael Gallup enters the chat.
This was Gallup’s highlight from Sunday:
The Cowboys decided, with Gallup recovering from a serious leg injury, to jettison a key player they had traded for and retained Gallup with a 5-year, $57.5 million contract.
In the 22 games that Gallup has played in post-injury he has 61 receptions out of 112 targets.
He has 667 yards and four touchdowns, none in 2023.
The player Dallas traded away in order to retain the free agent Gallup because they couldn’t afford to keep both? Amari Cooper? Do you wonder what he’s up to these days?
Since the opening game of 2022, Cooper has played in all 25 scheduled games. He has 113 catches on 195 targets.
Cooper has 1,777 yards and 11 touchdowns.
A real general manager would realize that keeping Cooper over Gallup made more sense. His contract is more than Gallup’s but that could have been reworked.
But the Cowboys didn’t make that move.
They stood pat.
LATE MOVE IN DESPERATION
And now they’ve just signed Martavis Bryant, who has been out of the league since 2018, to the practice squad.
A move that reeks of desperation.
Because when Dallas had a chance to get that final piece or two of the championship puzzle they chose the wrong option. They stood pat.
Which is why, barring an epic Eagles’ collapse down the stretch, Dallas will be a wild card team again in January.
They likely will win a wild card game on the road. Then lose again to the 49ers or Eagles on the road in the divisional round.
The same refrain we’ve seen for nearly three decades.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
It won’t end until Jerry Jones’ hold over the team is gone. Championship-winning teams with championship-winning general managers never stand pat.
The Cowboys don’t have a championship-winning general manager.
They don’t even have a general manager at all.
