Getty Images Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys.
Jerry Jones took a subtle shot at Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy ahead of the NFL Draft on Monday, although it was all in good fun.
The pre-draft press conference mostly addressed what the Cowboys plan to do over the coming week with their picks but Jones threw his head coach under the bus with some playful shade when he wrapped things up.
“Drafting is not our problem, coaching is,” Jones said.
Jerry Jones ends the news conference with a joke: “Drafting is not our problem, coaching is.”
Jones is the general manager in Dallas, so it’s just a playful poke at his veteran skipper, who has led the team to consecutive 12-win seasons. He also praised McCarthy at times during the press conference for what he brings to the table.
And for what it’s worth, Jones has done a decent job in the draft, with the Dallas being able to rely on their homegrown talent. There’s been some misses but players like CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons have become pillars for the organization.
McCarthy will be taking on playcalling duties this season after the team parted ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. It will give him even more control over the direction of the team and is something he’s embracing.
“This is the most fun I’ve had since I’ve been in Dallas,” McCarthy said in March. “Just to be in the meeting room again with the coaches full time. Just to go 8 to 11:30 and break, and you’re talking nothing but scheme. I haven’t had that. So that part’s different.”
Jerry Jones Not Keen on Giving Up Cowboys GM Duties
Jones also had some jokes for Will McClay, the Cowboys’ vice president of player personnel who has been with the team since 2017. McClay is highly-touted and has been integral in putting together the Cowboys draft board but Jones isn’t planning on handing him the GM keys anytime soon.
“I can’t make him general manager,” Jones said. “We have one. It’s tenured. If Will can write those checks, I might consider it.”
Jones did offer some praise for McClay for what he brings to the table, managing a team of scouts that he called the “best group that I’ve ever been associated with in 30 years.”
“Will is unique,” Jones said. “I don’t want anybody to know about Will. I’m teasing, but I’m not teasing. He’s very unique. He has great people skills and I mean they work for Will and the scouts, and that’s a management job, those scouts out on the road. I think we’re up over $250,000 a player that we draft on scouting expenses that we draft. That’s not going toward pro scouting.”
Cowboys Vague About Plans in First-Round of NFL Draft
GettyDallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The Cowboys head into the draft with the No. 26 overall pick and could go a lot of different directions. And there’s also the possibility they decide to move up or down on the draft board, although Jones wasn’t showing his hand.
“We may be interested in going down, or maybe up, or we might just sit there,” Jones said.
The Cowboys are still doing their final evaluations ahead of Thursday’s first round. Dallas has narrowed down their players with first-round grades but are still working on it.
“Still to be determined. We’re still tweaking,” Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said. “I think in general, 15-17-18 range. That should end up being pretty close.”
The NFL Draft kicks off Thursday and runs through Saturday in Kansas City.