Jones shrugs off Aikman’s call for overhaul
Owner makes clear he’ll remain team’s ultimate decision-maker
FRISCO — Jerry Jones reminded the world Friday morning that he writes the checks.
The Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager was asked on his radio show about Troy Aikman’s comments earlier this week that the team needed an overhaul after a 3-5 start.
“This is a tough stretch we’re in. We’ve been through tough stretches when he played here,” Jones said on KRLD/105.3 The Fan. “People are going to be critical and take their shots. I’m fully aware that this is a time we should be criticized.”
Jones then went into a long, complicated (and confusing) rap about how much turnover there is in the NFL with coaches and general managers and noted that the Cowboys have had two GMs in their history: Tex Schramm for 29 years followed by Jones.
“It’s sure as the lights coming up is whoever is in some of these key positions that they’re not only going to get criticized, but they very easily could have turnover,” he said. “How you function below the general manger can function in a lot of (different) ways, but it turns out this general manager is the owner of the team.”
Jones’ point was simple: As long as he’s breathing, he’ll keep making decisions for the Cowboys. Jones also added that responsibility requires listening and “getting as many competent people around you as you can get around you.”
“Every team in the NFL, the ultimate decision-maker is the guy that has the vote at the league office, that’s on personnel, that’s on coaching, that’s whether the lights go on or off. Since I’ve owned the team, I’ve been that vote and that decision maker. No one has ever, in any way, had the ability to pre-empt any decision I ultimately make.”
The Cowboys are doing more shuffling at receiver as they try to revive one of the NFL’s worst passing attacks before a critical game at Philadelphia. The Cowboys on Friday waived one of their key offseason free agent pickups, receiver Deonte Thompson, while activating Noah Brown off injured reserve and promoting Lance Lenoir from the practice squad.
The moves come two weeks after the Cowboys traded their upcoming first-round draft pick to Oakland for receiver Amari Cooper, who scored a touchdown in his Dallas debut, a 28-14 loss to Tennessee. The Cowboys (3-5) visit the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles (4-4) on Sunday night.
Dallas is 29th in the league in passing and hasn’t been able to compensate for defenses that focus on stopping star running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Brown hasn’t played this season while battling a hamstring injury. He appeared in 13 games last season, with four catches for 33 yards. Lenoir appeared in one game last year.
The Cowboys ruled out four defensive players against the Eagles: linemen Taco Charlton (shoulder) and David Irving (ankle) and linebackers Sean Lee (hamstring) and Joe Thomas (foot). Rookie left guard Connor Williams also was ruled after having arthroscopic knee surgery this week.