What seems like centuries ago, the Dallas Cowboys won multiple Super Bowls after Jerry Jones became the owner in 1989. Soon after taking control of the team, Jones fired Tom Landry and replaced him with Jimmy Johnson, and away we went. Dallas had a dominant defense and an offense that was as efficient as any in the last 40 years and seemed poised for long-term greatness.
Then it all stopped. Part of the problem was that Jones had installed himself as general manager. He played football when he was younger and was a successful businessman, but that does not mean he knows how to run a football team. One might wonder what the Cowboys would have done with Jones as the owner and with football people making the decisions.
Still, there is little doubt that Dallas does have some high-quality talent. Edge rusher Micah Parsons is probably a future Hall of Famer with many years to play. Quarterback Dak Prescott is capable of greatness, though he is inconsistent and often injured. The team did win 12 games each year between 2021 and 2023.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not going to be happy with a new NFL power ranking
The team doesn't seem well-built enough to win when games genuinely matter: the playoffs. (Plus, the defense appears to be terrible unless Dan Quinn is coaching it.)
But is Dallas a bottom-quarter of the NFL team? Lou Scataglia of NFL Spin Zone believes so. In his power rankings after the first wave of free agency, he ranks the Cowboys at number 25. The reason is that Scataglia is confused about which direction Dallas is headed, and whether Jerry and Stephen Jones know how to change course, if needed.
Of course, that is part of the issue. Do the Joneses think they need to change the way they do business? Jerry Jones is not afraid to spend money on certain players, but he also lacks the aggressiveness to chase players in free agency who might fill a team need. He would rather overpay for Prescott than sign a high-quality defensive tackle or cornerback.
Jones might have the cash to do so, but does he have the evaluation skills to make his team great? It certainly does not seem so.
Or, who knows? Maybe this is the year the Cowboys stay healthy, Brian Schottenheimer proves he should have been a head coach before now (and he has a fantastic offense), and Matt Eberflus fixes the defense. It is all possible.