Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, plans to remain general manager of the team, too. Always.
“There’s no way that I would be involved here (as owner) and not be the final decision-maker on something as important as players, and that is a key area,” Jones said during his twice-weekly radio show on KRLD-FM in Dallas. “That’s never been anybody’s misunderstanding. It’s been a debated thing, but it’s just not going to happen.”
Under Jones’ leadership as owner and GM, the Cowboys have won three Super Bowls. But recently, the general manager side of his job has not been so smooth.
The Cowboys have won just two playoff games since their last Super Bowl appearance, in the 1995 season when they beat Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX. And many of their draft choices have been questionable at best. Only five players remain from the 2009 and 2010 drafts combined.
Moreover, the Cowboys are 123-124 since 1997.
Jones’ tenure as general manager has been marred by questionable trades; three draft picks given to Detroit for wide receiver Roy Williams; a trade for cornerback Pacman Jones, who was suspended during the 2008 season; and various big-money contracts given to players including safety Ken Hamlin, Marion Barber and guard Marco Rivera and Roy Williams did not pan out.
But Jones has made some good moves, including drafting inside linebackers Sean Lee and Bruce Carter in the second rounds of the 2010 and 2011 drafts and the first-round pick of cornerback Morris Claiborne last year. Of course, Jones sees his successes more than his failures.
“We’ve had success doing it this way and we’re going to have success in the future doing it this way,” Jones said. “It eliminates some very serious issues when you look around the league, as to creating an additional layer that you’re continually having decisions, making changes and doing those kinds of things.”
