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Jerry Jones is famous for saying things he probably shouldn't, and sometimes it gets him into trouble. That's the problem with talking too much; things have a tendency to slip out. Jones' usual cover is that he tends to talk in circles and personal idioms, so it's not always clear if what one interprets is what he intentioned.
Such was the case again when the owner was asked about Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and his units struggles through six weeks of the season. Jones' response could be interpreted as him saying that he was the one responsible for hiring Eberflus, potentially forcing him onto new first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
This isn't a shock; most already believed this to be the case, but Jones casually inferring to everyone that he hired Eberflus would undermine head coach Brian Schottenheimer. In almost every other organization across the league, the coach is responsible for hiring his own staff, but that might not be the case for Schottenheimer. It's hard enough to be the coach of the Cowboys, and Jones tends to make things more difficult than it has to be.
The alternate interpretation is that Jones, as the owner and GM, is ultimately responsible for making the deal with any hire. He has to approve salary and conditions of the hire, and could be speaking to that responsibility of okaying Schottenheimer's choice.
There were reasons to believe Eberflus would be a good option, he's had some success throughout the league, but there was also reason to examine why he was hired. The biggest question is why Schottenheimer would turn to Eberflus, with whom he had no connection?
An easy answer was the organization had ties to the defensive coach, who was with the Cowboys for seven seasons before leaving. Eberflus was highly thought of in Dallas, so the speculation was that Jones played a larger role in his hiring than the head coach.
Schottenheimer was hired on January 24, and Eberflus was right behind him, signing on just four days later. That's a quick turnaround and decision for a guy who's becoming a first-time head coach. Was Eberflus already attached as the defensive coordinator and Schottenheimer had to roll with it? Jones has forced coordinators on head coaches before, like when Jason Garrett was forced on Wade Phillips, and Kellen Moore on Mike McCarthy.
On the surface it might not look like it matters, but the biggest issue is if Schottenheimer had no say in who his defensive coordinator is, he likely can't fire him.
Eberflus leads one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and there's potentially nothing the head coach can do about it. That's a big problem.
Of course, there are no repercussions because Jones is the owner and general manager of the team, so he can continue to undermine his coach if he chooses. This isn't a knock on the current coach because if it weren't Schottenheimer, it would be whoever the Cowboys hired to do the job.
It's also a reason many of the best candidates and respectable coaches don't interview with Dallas, everyone knows Jones pulls the strings. Schottenheimer knew it and took the job anyway. This comes with the territory of being the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, sometimes it means taking strays from an owner who can't stop talking.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Jones provides more fodder for interference claims in latest interview
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Such was the case again when the owner was asked about Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and his units struggles through six weeks of the season. Jones' response could be interpreted as him saying that he was the one responsible for hiring Eberflus, potentially forcing him onto new first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
This isn't a shock; most already believed this to be the case, but Jones casually inferring to everyone that he hired Eberflus would undermine head coach Brian Schottenheimer. In almost every other organization across the league, the coach is responsible for hiring his own staff, but that might not be the case for Schottenheimer. It's hard enough to be the coach of the Cowboys, and Jones tends to make things more difficult than it has to be.
The alternate interpretation is that Jones, as the owner and GM, is ultimately responsible for making the deal with any hire. He has to approve salary and conditions of the hire, and could be speaking to that responsibility of okaying Schottenheimer's choice.
There were reasons to believe Eberflus would be a good option, he's had some success throughout the league, but there was also reason to examine why he was hired. The biggest question is why Schottenheimer would turn to Eberflus, with whom he had no connection?
An easy answer was the organization had ties to the defensive coach, who was with the Cowboys for seven seasons before leaving. Eberflus was highly thought of in Dallas, so the speculation was that Jones played a larger role in his hiring than the head coach.
Schottenheimer was hired on January 24, and Eberflus was right behind him, signing on just four days later. That's a quick turnaround and decision for a guy who's becoming a first-time head coach. Was Eberflus already attached as the defensive coordinator and Schottenheimer had to roll with it? Jones has forced coordinators on head coaches before, like when Jason Garrett was forced on Wade Phillips, and Kellen Moore on Mike McCarthy.
On the surface it might not look like it matters, but the biggest issue is if Schottenheimer had no say in who his defensive coordinator is, he likely can't fire him.
Eberflus leads one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and there's potentially nothing the head coach can do about it. That's a big problem.
Of course, there are no repercussions because Jones is the owner and general manager of the team, so he can continue to undermine his coach if he chooses. This isn't a knock on the current coach because if it weren't Schottenheimer, it would be whoever the Cowboys hired to do the job.
It's also a reason many of the best candidates and respectable coaches don't interview with Dallas, everyone knows Jones pulls the strings. Schottenheimer knew it and took the job anyway. This comes with the territory of being the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, sometimes it means taking strays from an owner who can't stop talking.
Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Jones provides more fodder for interference claims in latest interview
Continue reading...
