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Obviously the Cowboys have an interesting setup with their front office in that Jerry Jones is the owner and general manager. For years now people have apportioned different amounts of credit for different things to Stephen Jones and Will McClay.
Dallas traded for wide receiver Amari Cooper on Monday and the move certainly suggests that they believe they can still salvage the 2018 season. Jerry Jones had previously cancelled his Tuesday appearance on 105.3 The Fan and many immediately speculated that it was because he was handling this trade, but what if he wasn’t the Jones who was fully in charge?
We’ll never know the exact ins and outs of how the trade with Oakland fully materialized, but Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie offered some interesting quotes in the aftermath of it.
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie said he got phone call this morning from Cowboys exec Stephen Jones. “He wanted the player, and he gave me the pick. That’s what it came down to.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) October 22, 2018
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie said Cowboys exec Stephen Jones called him last Friday for first time, told him to expect additional contact on Monday. McKenzie on when he first believed team was trading WR Amari Cooper: “this morning.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) October 22, 2018
McKenzie sheds light on the fact that Dallas didn’t first inquire about Amari until last Friday. Two days later the Cowboys lost on the road in Washington, but apparently Stephen Jones somewhat promised a call on Monday morning no matter what. Obviously Dallas didn’t see enough from their own receivers to feel like a trade was no longer necessary.
What’s also interesting about this whole sequence is that it was Stephen Jones who called the Raiders and “gave the pick.” Obviously Stephen and Jerry work closely together, but these are situations and deals that Jerry has handled himself. Stephen handling this one, one of such magnitude, could be a sign that more is changing as many have long thought.