Jerry Jones stated he didn't want redshirt players from the NFL Draft, but has that stance softened?
The Dallas Cowboys have made it clear this offseason that they won't be drafting "redshirts," as Jerry Jones called them.
Not to pick on one player, but ...
With Shavon Revel Jr. last season not seeing the field until midway through his rookie year as he rehabbed his ACL injury? Well, Dallas doesn't want to deal with that setup again.
They need players to help now. Not in Week 8.
For most, that means Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy, who hasn't played since 2024, is a no-go. While McCoy's tape from 2024 was reportedly good enough for him to potentially be a top-10 pick, now that might not be the case.
But have Dallas' thoughts on redshirt players in the draft shifted?
“We do a incredible job, the training staff, of looking at all these guys," head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. "There's different grades that we look at, but we're looking for players that can come in and help us win now.
"That doesn't mean they have to be ready to go for the start of the offseason program or when they get here, but we want guys that can come in and contribute to our football team and help us build on some of the great things we did last year.”
So Schottenheimer's stance isn't as defiant as Jerry's was earlier in the offseason, but still, many think the Cowboys have put a line through certain players due to the urgent need to have players ready Day 1 for Parker.
And for Jerry, players with injury history, in his mind, have been pushed way down the pecking order on the draft board.
"Availability bit us good last year," Jerry added. " So this year with the nature of what we're trying to do defensively, 'redshirts' guys that may not get out there until the latter part of the year or playoffs, they've been pushed back in my thinking."
So, reading between the lines, any player that has a hint of the possibility of not being ready early in the season is a no-go for the Cowboys.
Christian Parker needs starters and players who can come in and contribute straight away.
Does that mean a "no'' McCoy if he falls and is available to the Cowboys at No. 20? I think so.