Is Jerry Jones a good GM? Numbers, draft picks and proof

I've been sitting on this post for about a year and after seeing this photo I think it's time to adress the question. Is Jerry Jones a good or bad General Manager.

This question comes from almost every Cowboys "fan"this time of year.  Why do they scream "fire Jerry Jones"? Because they know him as a matter of fact the only fan bases that scream fire the owner are Dallas, Oakland and Washington. The owners are Jerry Jones, Dan Snyder and the late Al Davis respectively. Why because we KNOW (of) those Owners.  Have you ever heard anyone say fire the owners of the Lions or Browns. Nope, because no one knows who they are and those franchisees are worst that Oakland, Dallas and Washington. Dallas, Washington and Oakland have all so championships. 

BTW the Cleveland Brown front office are as follows: 

Owner(s) Jimmy Haslam

CEO Joe Banner

General manager Michael Lombardi

Detroit Lions: 

Owner(s) William Clay Ford, Sr.

Chairman William Clay Ford, Sr.

President Tom Lewand

General manager Martin Mayhew

1. Jerry Jones would actually has you have done. Fix the holes where there was an opportunity. Coming into this season the major concern was the offensive line. Here are the linemen and their numbers.

LT Tyron Smith: 37 pressures (6.0 percent of pass snaps), 3 sacks 

LG Nate Livings: 14 pressures (1.9 percent), 5 sacks

C Ryan Cook: 12 pressures (2.2 percent), 2 sacks

RG Mackenzy Bernadeau: 24 pressures (3.3 percent), 6 sacks

RT Doug Free: 42 pressures (6.2 percent), 7 sacks

In the 2013 draft we tossed a 1st rounder at Wisconsin Center/Guard Travis Fredrick and during the first weeks of the season signed Guard Brian Waters. I have made several post about Fredrick and Waters did play well before succumbing to injury. This offensive line is quietly becoming a strong suit of this team. (One that has also, Outside of Waters, has remained healthy

in 2012 The Dallas Cowboys had a tired defense. Everyone who had an opinion thought that Dallas whiffed when JJ did not sign Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. Asomugha signed with the Eagles and Dallas signed KC cornerback Brandon Carr. Carr has played well in Dallas, but certainly isn't Nnamdi lol. Carr has 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery and one Touchdown this season. Ironically these are the same stats Carr has last year. However Carr impacted was more noticeable last year ending the Steelers game (one of Dallas' biggest rivals with an interception just missing the touchdown by a few yards.

In the 2012 draft the Cowboys selected Morris Claiborne. At the time I was a little upset that we did not go for Alabama's Mark Barron ( I will address these 2 in a post later) but I was pleased that the hole was addressed. Claiborne at LSU had posted 5 INT in his sophomore season and a 4.5 40 yard dash. Morris Claiborne left LSU with a spot in the national championship game. Played in 33 games, starting 26 times. Finished career with 95 tackles, 12 pass breakups and 11 interceptions .

In 2011 it was as I would like to call the first season of hope. The season began and ended with a loss in Met-Life stadium included a 4 game win streak, didn't lose more than 2 games in a row but we still questioned the mental competence of new coach Jason Garrett. This is a 8-8 season that went down to the wire with a New York Giants team for a playoff spot. The Cowboys lost that game and have gone the past 2 seasons as having gone to that final game to figure out what our off-season goals are. In the 2011 draft Jerry Jones used his first round pick on USC LT Tyron Smith. 

This is the hardest season to rank as 1. I didn't have this blog so I can't review my mental state during that season. 2. because of the turnover job Garrett did after the Phillp's debacle. Garrett did fairly well however the team had a chance to wrap up the division the week before the final game in Philadelphia and did not, letting New York in the door and tossing our own hope out with that failure in the meadow-lands, or whatever the call that damn stadium now. The one this that has become clear to me in the post is that maybe as I have all along felt Garrett is the problem not Jerry. Now if you want to go into who hired who you got me. but with Garrett we have been in a position to win the NFC at the very last game and all years (including this one I foresee) will end up short. Garrett is all year have had very questionable decisions as a coach. As it comes to simple game management. The Arizona clock situation. 2011. The 2nd NYG game and Atlanta Falcons game in 2012 And the Detroit and Green Bay games this year.

Writing this post I stick with my gut feeling that Jerry Jones is a good GM. I say that because he tries. There are no clear moves you can point to that Jerry whiffed on. Jerry Jones have us coming into the pre-season thinking "another fuckin season". We come into ever year thinking. Super Bowl bitches! Which is how a fan-base should feel when everyone is 0-0. I would absolutly kill myself if I lived in Jacksonville and in August I had to remind myself that Blaine Gabbertt is my starting quarterback. Our running back is my best player (never good) and I've seen all of training camp and can't same a single layer on defense. Not only that but my new owner looks like a cross between the old school wrestler the Iron Sheilk and a spiffy dressing terrorist.

(not sure whom this is a picture of)

In conclusion is Jerry Jones perfect no, no man is. But the failing grade of this 2013 team is the defensive, specifically the defensive line and if we do not spend our first round pick and another late round pick on a DT or DE. Then Jerry Jones is not doing all he can. If this was a year that the Cowboys were under the cap I would expect a free agent to be signed for d-line help as well.

Another thing that Jerry Jones has done (which many of us overlook) is that Jerry pads our schedule. The NFL schedule is set as to our opponents but that doesn't mean a man on the scheduling committee can't slide when he wants his team to play. I stated this last season. Dallas has 2 of the last 3 games at home. That isn't a big deal, the point is the teams we played, New Orleans and Pittsburgh, two teams we have had issues with beating in the past. This year the one mistake that Jerry made with that schedule was not ending the last game in Dallas. Since it's been for the division, it's been on the road. This year that was changed with Dallas playing our final game in Cowboys stadium. You can dismiss this if you want but having important game at home, epsically one that are for the division was a very smart move on Jerry. Something that most GM would not be able to pull of.

If that doesn't seal it maybe Numbers will. Here is a list of all current GM that have a winning record. Yup that's right out of 32 teams only 12 are there. (John Elway's record is missing)

San Francisco 49ers: Trent Baalke - 1 Super Bowl appearance

Atlanta Falcons: Thomas Dimitroff 2008 – 51-21, 3 playoff appearances

Green Bay Packers: Ted Thompson 2005 – 73-48, 4 playoff appearances, 1 Super Bowl title

New York Giants: Jerry Reese 2007 – 55-34, 3 playoff appearances, 2 Super Bowl titles

Philadelphia Eagles: Howie Roseman 2010 – 21-19, 1 playoff appearance

Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones 1989 – pres. 201-175, 12 playoff appearances, 3 Super Bowl titles

New England Patriots: Nick Caserio 2008 – 53-19, 3 playoffs, 1 Super Bowl appearance

Miami Dolphins: Jeff Ireland 2008 – 35-37, 1 playoff appearance

Baltimore Ravens: Ozzie Newsome 2002 – 100-68, 6 playoff appearances, Super Bowl title

Pittsburgh Steelers: Kevin Colbert GM 2011 – 17-7, 1 playoff appearance

Denver Broncos: John Elway 2011

New Orleans Saints: Mickey Loomis 2002 – 93-75, 4 playoff appearances, 1 Super Bowl title