The Cowboys Are Back, Thanks to the Owner Who Nearly Ruined ThemAfter Jerry Jones took over the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, he was, in his mind at least, the team's great savior. He was the one who was largely responsible for the Cowboys' rise from 1-15 creampuffs to three-time Super Bowl champions.
Author Jeff Pearlman talks about his book, "Boys Will Be Boys," a look into the glory days and party nights of the Dallas Cowboys dynasty during the 1990s. Video courtesy of Fox Sports.
He was the one who had fired the team's iconic but outdated coach, Tom Landry, and hired Jimmy Johnson. He was the point man on the 1989 blockbuster deal that sent Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a bounty of players and draft picks, as well as the 1990 trade that netted Dallas three high picks from the Saints in exchange for Steve Walsh, a noodle-armed backup QB. "Without my input, those trades don't happen," Mr. Jones said. "It's that simple."
In April, 1992, Mr. Jones invited ESPN's cameras into his team's Valley Ranch war room, where he seemed to be an active participant in the team's decisions.
But to the outside world, Mr. Jones was often seen as an attention-obsessed executive who craved to be known as more than merely a signer of fat paychecks. He quickly earned the reputation around the NFL as a Grade-D talent evaluator -- especially after Mr. Johnson quit (or was fired, depending on who's talking) following the 1994 season and Jones took over as the team's general manager and lone decision maker.
His first-ever first round pick, in 1994: Shante Carver, a defensive end with Q-Tip-thick legs who lasted four forgettable years in Dallas. His second-ever first round pick, in 1997: David LaFleur, a tight end who also lasted four seasons. His track record over his first eight drafts: two stars (offensive linemen Larry Allen and Flozell Adams), a handful of passable mediocrities (Darren Studstill, Omar Stoutmire) and mostly piles upon piles of discards.
"Jerry went through some very hard times after Jimmy left," says Hubbard Alexander, an assistant coach with Dallas from 1989 through 1998. "I'm sure there were those who thought he had no clue about football. It was understandable, I suppose. But I'll tell you two things about Jerry Jones -- he's a smart man, and he'll study and study until he gets it right."
Indeed, following one of the darkest stretches in franchise history, during which the Cowboys went 55-73 between 1997-2004 and Mr. Jones was increasingly mocked as a wanna-be genius, Dallas's owner now seems to have it figured out. The Cowboys have a 33-17 record over the past four years and are 2-0 this season heading into Sunday's game at Green Bay. The team has drafted with renewed aplomb, landing a group of stars -- DeMarcus Ware, Marcus Spears and Marion Barber in 2005 and a potential Michael Strahan-esque quarterback chaser in defensive end Anthony Spencer in 2007.
This past April, they picked up two players, running back Felix Jones and tight end Martellus Bennett, with mesmerizing big-play potential. In a sense, Mr. Jones has returned to the team's early-'90s roots, when Jimmy Johnson focused less on plugging holes and more on finding the best possible playmakers. "The improvement is remarkable, because for a long time Jerry's drafts were absolutely terrible," says Darren Woodson, the former Cowboys safety and current ESPN analyst. "I think what's happened is that Jerry has opened up to other ideas and thought processes. Really, that started with Bill."
If there was a key moment in Mr. Jones's rise from laughingstock to laudable, it came in January, 2003 when he hired Bill Parcells as head coach. Unlike Mr. Johnson, who insisted on 100% control over all things football-related, Mr. Parcells was willing to confer with the owner; to sit down and discuss strategy; discuss scouting; discuss what he was looking for in a player. Though the two often butted heads, Mr. Jones was well aware of Mr. Parcells's knowledge. "What better teacher could Jerry have?" says Mr. Woodson.
Though Mr. Parcells's four-year tenure resulted in uneven on-field results, those who know Mr. Jones say he emerged with a new level of confidence and -- if this is possible -- swagger. It was Mr. Jones, after all, who took one of the great personnel risks of the last decade, signing free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens in 2006 to a three-year, $25 million contract after he had been released by the Eagles for multiple infractions. Immediately after the deal, Mr. Jones was again ridiculed throughout the league for having the temerity to add a player who spit in the face of discipline. Few, however, are mocking Mr. Jones today. Now in his third season with Dallas, Mr. Owens has regained his spot among the league's elite.
“Though history has hailed [Jimmy] Johnson (and, to a lesser extent, Jerry Jones) with pulling off the most lopsided trade in NFL history, 99 percent of the (dis)credit must go to [Mike] Lynn, a nice man, a good dresser and a lousy football executive.” Read an excerpt from "Boys Will Be Boys"
Last year Mr. Jones again defied convention on the free-agent market, inking an underwhelming Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman named Leonard Davis to a seven-year, $49.6 million contract. Rival executives laughed -- Mr. Davis laughed his way to the Pro Bowl. "Everyone -- absolutely everyone -- accused Jerry of overpaying Leonard Davis," says Gil Brandt, an NFL.com analyst and the Cowboys' vice president of player personnel from 1960-88. "Everyone -- absolutely everyone -- thought signing Terrell Owens was a horrible idea. But Jerry has a real feel for what he's doing as a GM. He listens to those around him with good judgment, and he combines that with listening to his gut. Clearly, it's paying off."
"I don't think my improvement is quite as dramatic as some people might say," says Mr. Jones. "But I have learned a great deal over the years. Most important, I know that the more time you spend looking at other teams' successful players, the better your evaluation skills become.
"Another thing I've come to believe in is the power of consistency. We've changed coaches over the years, but we have not changed our trainers or conditioning people. We want our players to work with the same few people over a span of years, so they have a path toward consistent development."
This offseason, after Dallas fell just short in the NFC title game, Mr. Jones took two of his biggest risks to date, signing a pair of players -- Adam "Pacman" Jones and Tank Johnson -- with myriad talents and myriad legal issues. So far this season, both players have shown glimpses of their otherworldly talents. "It might work, it might not work," says Mr. Brandt. "But it's hard to argue with Jerry's personnel results of late. I wouldn't follow the guy who bets against him."
By: Jeff Pearlman
Wall Street Journal; September 19, 2008
