After Yet Another Suspension, Jerry Jones’ Cowboys Have Soul Searching to Do

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys knew they were close. A controversial ruling on a Dez Bryant non-catch might have cost them a berth in the NFC Championship Game in 2014, leaving Jones and the organization thinking they needed only an extra defensive boost to get over the top in 2015 and beyond. 

After all, the 2014 Cowboys had the NFL’s fifth-highest point total, but also the league’s fifth-lowest sack total. The pass rush needed an upgrade, but premier edge-rushers aren’t often available on the trade or free-agent markets, and when they are, they’re often expensive. 

So in the spring of 2015 Jones and the Cowboys—without a high draft pick or a ton of money to spend—decided to gamble. They decided to use what resources they had to obtain a pair of highly-talented rushers who came with clear red flags.

On March 18, 2015, they signed Greg Hardy, who put up 26 sacks in a two-season span between 2012 and 2013 but in 2014 was convicted by a judge of assaulting a female and communicating threats in a case involving an ex-girlfriend. He appealed for a jury trial and eventually had the charges dismissed after reaching a civil agreement with the woman, but the court of public opinion had ruled and Hardy was widely considered to be toxic.  

Six weeks later, on May 1, 2015, the Cowboys used a second-round draft pick on Randy Gregory, who had 17.5 sacks in his two seasons at Nebraska and was considered one of the best pass-rushing prospects in the country. But he’d reportedly been removed from several teams’ draft boards after failing a drug test at the Combine, and he plummeted in the draft. 

It was a risky yet enticing way to attempt to upgrade an area of need at a low cost, and in typical Jones fashion it created buzz. 

But less than 15 months later, it’s become obvious both moves have backfired. 

Hardy is already gone. He served a four-game suspension at the start of the year and lacked productivity after that. But more importantly, as Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News noted, he “became a constant headache for Jason Garrett. The Cowboys coach met with him at least four times to address his conduct.”

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