Contrary to popular belief, Jerry Jones isn't the only owner
in the NFL who attends draft meetings. New York Giants co-owner John Mara likes
to check in with his scouting department on a regular basis and he's always in
the "war room" on draft day.
The difference of course is that he's there to show support for the people he's
empowered to make football decisions. Mara's also fiercely loyal to head coach
Tom Coughlin, and wouldn't dare show up on the sideline to offer him advice
during a game.
The Giants only finished with one more win than the Cowboys in the regular
season, but New York was able to make this improbable run to the Super Bowl, in
part because it has a clearly defined structure. General manager Jerry Reese
took over the reins from Ernie Accorsi in 2007 and promptly had to deal with a
very public holdout by defensive end Michael Strahan. Reese allowed Strahan to
sound off in the media and never lost his cool. In fact, it's that calm
demeanor that can drive players nuts when they're attempting to pick a fight
(see Osi Umenyiora).
"The most important thing Ernie taught me is to make solid football
decisions," said Reese by text on Wednesday. "It has nothing to do
with emotion … just everything that encompasses good, solid football
decisions."
Unlike Jones, Reese doesn't work hard at creating friendships with players. Once
he and his scouting department deliver the players, he steps out of the way and
lets Coughlin do his job. Reese serves as a sounding board for the head coach,
but you won't catch him offering unsolicited advice. He did feel strongly after
the '06 season that quarterback Eli Manning needed to make some changes to his
body language on the field.
The Giants didn't want to change Manning's personality, but
they realized that his slumped shoulders and hang-dog expressions after
negative plays were affecting his teammates. Running back Tiki Barber used to
chide Manning for this during games. But Manning set the tone for the '07
season when he fired back at Barber, who was criticizing him in the media. Manning’s
teammates saw the quotes, and it helped him gain more credibility in the locker
room.
The Giants don't leave any doubt when it comes to their overall hierarchy.
Mara, who played a leading role in negotiating a new collective labor
agreement, avoids the spotlight. You don't see him in a suite during road games
because he's sitting on the same row as reporters in the main press box,
normally next to Reese. Mara has a great admiration for the Rooney family in
Pittsburgh and that's why he's stayed with Coughlin through some rocky seasons,
just like the Steelers did with Bill Cowher.
Reese was widely criticized before the season for allowing free-agent wide
receiver Steve Smith and tight end Kevin Boss end up on other rosters. Smith,
who was coming off major knee surgery, didn't do much of anything for the
Eagles and Boss didn't light it up for the Raiders. The Giants continue to
stock their roster with long-armed pass-rushers and they struck gold last year
by signing free-agent rookie wide receiver Victor Cruz out of UMass.
The Cowboys' hierarchy is so muddled it's hard to explain. The assistant director
of player personnel Tom Ciskowski and his staff do a nice job putting together
a draft board, but they can be undermined by Jones at any minute.
Jones talks to a handful of his old pals from outside the
organization, including former Cowboys director of scouting Larry Lacewell and
even Barry Switzer at times. Jones seems to listen to whomever he's been on the
phone with last, which is a strange way of doing business.
Jones' son, Stephen, is actually the voice of reason at
Valley Ranch. If the scouts or coaches feel strongly about a player, they know
it's wise to inform Stephen. He's someone that Jerry talks to on a daily basis
and has great trust in. If not for Stephen, you may have seen Terrell Owens
remain on the Cowboys roster for another season.
Jones promised that nothing would happen on the Cowboys roster or coaching
staff without the approval of coach Jason Garrett, but a lot of us were
skeptical. When an owner's willing to advise his head coach during live action,
it's hard to believe he's giving him free reign over football operations.
Jones will probably watch Sunday's game and think about how close the Cowboys
were to beating the Giants in their first meeting this season. He'll continue
to convince himself that nothing's wrong with the core talent with his team.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys' most bitter rival (for now) will be going for its
second Super Bowl title in five years.
