NFL Execs: The Cowboys Under Stephen Jones Are Turning into a ‘Scary’ Contender

The NFC general manager says something that hasn’t been heard in a long time, maybe since the 1990s, when Jimmy Johnson, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin wrecked the NFL with multiple Super Bowl wins.

“The Cowboys,” he says, “are starting to scare me.”

Why?

“You could always count on Jerry Jones f–king things up,” he says. “That isn’t happening any longer. That’s a Super Bowl-caliber team now.”

Hold on. What?

Another front-office executive, this one in the AFC, says something similar.

“Health is obviously the key for them,” the executive says. “If [Tony] Romo can stay healthy, that’s an 11-win team.”

This is real life, correct? Not the Matrix? Not an alternate universe?

It does make sense. The Cowboys, once again, are a legitimate threat. And there’s a simple reason: They are making smart decisions. Tons of them. This is something that hasn’t happened in many years.

The personnel men I’ve spoken to over the past few days believe the Cowboys are neatly positioned to win the division, and within a year or two—maybe even this season—make a strong Super Bowl run. All of this seems a bit fast for me, but I’ve continued to hear after the draft how impressed the rest of the league is with the Cowboys and what they’re doing.

The main thing these teams see is a different philosophical bent. They point to the growing influence of Stephen Jones—Jerry’s son and the Cowboys’ chief operating officer, executive vice president and director of player personnel—on the football product.

Stephen Jones’ impact on the organization isn’t something that’s new this offseason. In 2015, he told the Associated Press’ Schuyler Dixon:

I think probably the biggest way things have changed is that he probably has more confidence in me. Although he might not …

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