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Some NFL execs say Stephen Jones turning Cowboys into Super Bowl contender
By SportsDayDFW.com Contact SportsDayDFW.com on Twitter: @SportsDayDFW
While nobody ever questions Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' business acumen, he has taken a lot of heat over the years for his football personnel decisions as the team's general manager.
But something Jerry should be credited for is the way he's turned over a lot of the personnel decisions to his son, Stephen.
In fact, according to Bleacher Report, at least one NFC general manager says: "The Cowboys are starting to scare me. You could always count on Jerry Jones (expletive) things up. That isn't happening any longer. That's a Super Bowl-caliber team now."
An AFC executive calls the Cowboys an 11-win team if Tony Romo stays healthy. The growing influence of Stephen Jones and the smart personnel decisions he's made is a reason for the renewed optimism about America's Team.
"He was seen by a lot of people in football as a trust fund baby masquerading as a football guy," the NFC general manager told Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman. "Now he's just an excellent football guy."
One of Stephen Jones' most valuable contributions is helping convince his dad that the Cowboys should pass on Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel and select offensive lineman Zack Martin in the first round of the 2014 draft.
In the most recent draft, after taking running back Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth pick in the first round, Dallas tried to trade back into the first round to select Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. Denver ended up landing Lynch with a trade of its own. Jerry Jones later lamented "not overpaying" for get Lynch.
But the trade with Seattle would have cost Dallas its second- and third-round picks, which were used on Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith and Nebraska defensive tackle Maliek Collins. If Smith recovers completely from a torn ACL and MCL, as the Cowboys expect him to, the non-trade will have proven to be the right decision.
Stephen Jones explained the club's thinking during an interview on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike show.
"At the end of the day, that's a hard thing for a team that has a franchise-type quarterback like we do with Tony [Romo]. It's a lot easier to overpay, if you will, when you don't necessarily have your future or what you're very pleased with on your team at that time. I think that was the tough part of it. ... We were very comfortable throughout the draft that we had about four quarterbacks that, at the end of the day, would be good picks for us, throughout the draft. Of course, we ultimately made Dak [Prescott] that pick and we have a lot of confidence that he's got the potential to be a good football player for us."
Stephen Jones has proven, and will continue to prove, that he's a good decision maker for Dallas.
By SportsDayDFW.com Contact SportsDayDFW.com on Twitter: @SportsDayDFW
While nobody ever questions Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' business acumen, he has taken a lot of heat over the years for his football personnel decisions as the team's general manager.
But something Jerry should be credited for is the way he's turned over a lot of the personnel decisions to his son, Stephen.
In fact, according to Bleacher Report, at least one NFC general manager says: "The Cowboys are starting to scare me. You could always count on Jerry Jones (expletive) things up. That isn't happening any longer. That's a Super Bowl-caliber team now."
An AFC executive calls the Cowboys an 11-win team if Tony Romo stays healthy. The growing influence of Stephen Jones and the smart personnel decisions he's made is a reason for the renewed optimism about America's Team.
"He was seen by a lot of people in football as a trust fund baby masquerading as a football guy," the NFC general manager told Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman. "Now he's just an excellent football guy."
One of Stephen Jones' most valuable contributions is helping convince his dad that the Cowboys should pass on Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel and select offensive lineman Zack Martin in the first round of the 2014 draft.
In the most recent draft, after taking running back Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth pick in the first round, Dallas tried to trade back into the first round to select Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. Denver ended up landing Lynch with a trade of its own. Jerry Jones later lamented "not overpaying" for get Lynch.
But the trade with Seattle would have cost Dallas its second- and third-round picks, which were used on Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith and Nebraska defensive tackle Maliek Collins. If Smith recovers completely from a torn ACL and MCL, as the Cowboys expect him to, the non-trade will have proven to be the right decision.
Stephen Jones explained the club's thinking during an interview on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike show.
"At the end of the day, that's a hard thing for a team that has a franchise-type quarterback like we do with Tony [Romo]. It's a lot easier to overpay, if you will, when you don't necessarily have your future or what you're very pleased with on your team at that time. I think that was the tough part of it. ... We were very comfortable throughout the draft that we had about four quarterbacks that, at the end of the day, would be good picks for us, throughout the draft. Of course, we ultimately made Dak [Prescott] that pick and we have a lot of confidence that he's got the potential to be a good football player for us."
Stephen Jones has proven, and will continue to prove, that he's a good decision maker for Dallas.