Ben Johnson will be the “sexiest” candidate on this offseason’s NFL Coaching Carousel, and if the Dallas Cowboys – presently sitting on a 5-8 record amid questions about lame-duck Mike McCarthy’s status – opt for a change?
There is a reason for team owner Jerry Jones to be attracted to “sexiness.”
Parts of this formula are easy. Parts of this formula are difficult. And one component being manufacted by ESPN now makes it all rather confounding.
ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell is sharing his vision for fixing the Cowboys in 2025: He’s urging Jones to hire Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
There is nothing new or clever about the idea. “Try to hire the best candidate”? That’s easy.
More difficult? An issue we we address below.
More confounding? That’s where ESPN comes in.
Barnwell suggests Dallas should offer Johnson a five-year contract of $125 million. But what he doesn’t do is explain why. Why is that specific number important?
“Johnson’s work as the offensive coordinator in Detroit has been impeccable,” Barnwell said, and that is a fine point. The Lions offense ranks first in points per game (32.1) and second in total yards (394.8). The Lions are currently 12-1, leading the NFC and building on last year’s NFC Championship appearance.
Obviously, the team that hires Johnson (the Chicago Bears?) will have to pay him. So why is Barnwell obsessed with the notion that it is Dallas that must do so?
“Dallas might instead need to take a bigger swing to fix its offense,” Barnwell said. “The Cowboys can’t subvert the salary cap, and they can’t buy first-round picks, but spending on coaches is uncapped. Paying Johnson this much would represent a significant investment and probably make every other team in the league angry, but coaches as a whole are underpaid.”
We’re fine with Johnson. We’re fine with $25 million per year. But we’re not fine with making this “a Cowboys thing” … except that maybe it is ESPN’s intention to trigger all those Dallas critics who portray Jones as “cheap.”
And that makes Barnwell’s focus confounding.
Allow us to take you in a better direction.
Word is that Johnson has expressed some preferences, among those “organizational alignment between the GM and the head coach” and “recognition from the organization of the things that have gone wrong, and a willingness to fix them.”
Can that first thing happen with Ben Johnson and Jerry Jones? Of course – if Johnson can accept that this GM is his boss.
Is Dallas good at “recognizing the things that have gone wrong, with a willingness to fix them.” Umm, no.
By reputation, Jones views himself as “the answer” and often argues that things are not “wrong” at all. … which in our view is exactly what is wrong.
For all the good things the Cowboys offer as an employer – for years top NFL coaches have expressed an understanding of how “Dallas is different” while at the same time calling working here “The Big Stage” – Jones’ alleged stubbornness might be an obstacle for some prospective candidates.
So don’t make it about the need. Don’t make it about the money. Make it about Jones’ Cowboys’ “willingness to recognize and change what’s wrong.” That is the reason, based on Johnson’s own whisper, that he’s unlikely to land at The Star.
