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todd archer
Frisco, Texas — at the age of 83, dallas cowboys Owner and general manager Jerry Jones still has dreams.
“My goal in life is to retire as the owner with the most Super Bowl wins,” Jones said during a season-ending press conference on Wednesday. “That’s my goal. To retire as the owner with the most Super Bowl wins in the NFL. We have three. How many more do I have to go as a single owner? [New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft] How many have you got? Six? So, I got the job. Got work to do. But at least I’m on the second rung on the ladder.”
The Cowboys completed their 30th season after winning their last Super Bowl, finishing a disappointing 7–9–1 in Brian Schottenheimer’s first year as head coach. The Cowboys are the only team in the NFC that has not made a conference title game since 1995, and they have missed the playoffs the past two seasons.
Defensively, the Cowboys allowed a franchise-record 511 points and are in the early stages of finding a new coordinator after firing Matt Eberflus on Tuesday. There are also personnel deficiencies at every level of defence. Offensively, the Cowboys finished seventh in points and second in yards per game with a 4,000-yard quarterback (dak prescott), two 1,000-yard receivers (cd lamb, george pickens) and running back 1,000 yards (javonte williams,
Pickens and Williams are set to become unrestricted free agents, although the team’s priority is to retain both on long-term deals. Without an agreement with Pickens, the Cowboys will likely use the franchise tag to keep him through 2026.
“Every team has flaws,” Jones said. “You have to. That’s just the way it works. But I see six teams that weren’t in the playoffs last year are in the playoffs this year. I know it can happen. I know how close it is. And I think we can get here and build the defense up quicker than it may seem.”
Jones cites defensive tackle quinnan williams, kenny clarke And Osa Odighizuva As the strength of the unit. linebacker demarvian overshon This is seen as a building block, but he has missed more games (32) due to injury than he played (19) in his first three seasons. cornerback Daron Bland He has a Pro Bowl on his resume, but next week he is scheduled to undergo his second surgery on his left foot in as many seasons.
The Cowboys have two first-round selections in the upcoming draft – the No. 12 selection and another wherever. green Bay Packers‘Select (from trade of Micah Parsons) ends. In 2005, the Cowboys traded two selections in the first round and added Hall of Fame pass rushers DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears, initiating a scheme change from a 4-3 to a 3-4.
The Cowboys are in the process of setting up interviews with potential coordinator candidates, but Schottenheimer said the team is not tied to one plan over another. He said the goal is to find the best teachers and communicators.
Since 2014, the Cowboys have had a former head coach as defensive coordinator, but Jones said it is not a requirement and the team could also consider a first-time coordinator.
“You’re looking for someone who has the ability to direct, convince, and motivate people to buy,” Schottenheimer said. “We’re salesmen. When you’re in front of the players, you’re selling them what you’re doing offensively, defensively, special teams – why it will work.”
There was a lack of confidence in what Eberflus was selling, although his tenure was also harmed by Parsons’ business. The Cowboys were unable to find a sustainable pass rush, which impacted the secondary.
Filling the holes on defense will take more than just the draft. The Cowboys haven’t spent big in free agency in years, although Jones hinted that it might be possible this year in part because of the flexibility created by trading Parsons. He said that if the Cowboys had signed Parsons, they would not have been able to retain Pickens.
“The main thing is [offseason] Yes, very important,” Jones said. “They’re right. We want, while Dak is playing the game and we want to get it the way he got it, we want to come out here and basically do better than what we did this year. So, the combination of those things encourages us to, dare I say it, eliminate the budget and try to do something now. Yes. Yes. “We’ll do some dramatic things.”
Jones will turn 84 in October. Catching Kraft, who has a chance for a seventh Super Bowl with the Patriots, looks challenging in the postseason.
Executive vice president Stephen Jones said, “I know whether it’s his gold jacket, all the things he’s taken away from the value of this franchise, I think he’ll give a lot of it up for another Super Bowl.” “It’s not just me. It’s my brother [Jerry Jr.]this is my sister [Charlotte]This is shotty, Its [vice president of player personnel Will McClay]Everyone in this organization wants to get things done,”
