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 2015 NFC Championship Game, leaving Jones and the organization thinking they needed only an extra defensive boost to get over the top. 

After all, the 2014 Cowboys had the NFL's fifth-highest point total but also the 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 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 used what resources they had to obtain a pair of talented rushers who came with red flags.

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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 assault on 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, 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."

"A few teammates who had supported Hardy early began to sour on him late in the season," George added, "in part because his perpetual tardiness for team meetings never resulted in a reduction of playing time."

Unsurprisingly, he wasn't re-signed. 

Gregory, meanwhile, remains on the roster, but there are legitimate concerns that the 23-year-old will never get around to making his first NFL start. After being limited with an early injury as a rookie, Gregory was suspended for four games in February for violating the league's drug policy. 

And on Tuesday, it was reported by ESPN's Todd Archer and Adam Schefter that he's now facing an extended suspension after once again violating the substance-abuse policy, with ESPN's Ed Werder noting that he'd entered a treatment facility. 

And so the Cowboys will open up training camp without Hardy and Gregory, just as they'll be without top 2015 sack man DeMarcus Lawrence (also facing a four-game suspension for violating the substance-abuse policy) and linebacker Rolando McClain (facing a 10-game suspension for the same reason). Lawrence and McClain were acquired in 2014, so it's not as though the spring of 2015 was an anomaly for the Cowboys. 

You have to wonder if after two decades of failure on the field, Jones has become so starved for a return to the glory days that he's become reckless with regard to the types of players he's willing to invest in. After all, the 1990s Cowboys dynasty was notoriously ill-behaved. 

But that was a different era, and lightning isn't striking twice. 

For what it's worth, Jones chalks it all up to business. 

Tim Sharp/Associated Press

"We're not buying bonds here," Jones told Jarrett Bell of USA Today last year, soon after adding Hardy and Gregory. "Risk takes on a lot of different forms, be it financial, the draft slot, something physical. I felt this was the time to be aggressive. Any pick you make, or any player you sign, something can go wrong."

That makes sense, but did the reigning NFC East champions need to take such large risks last year? Because while they didn't give up a lot, it was obvious to most that there was a solid chance they'd take a net loss on Hardy and/or Gregory. 

The allure for the Cowboys was that they were desperate for strong front-seven defenders and they weren't forced to risk a lot of money or draft capital. Hardy made a little more than $8.8 million in 2015, which was reasonable considering his resume, while Gregory was the 60th overall pick. 

The risks may have felt worth the potential rewards, but it quickly became obvious it wasn't that simple. Per George, the Cowboys had to provide "active support staff to check in on" Hardy, and Werder notes that the team actually had a staffer living with Gregory.

All to no avail. 

Player	Violation	Suspension
Randy Gregory	Substance-abuse policy	10 games
Rolando McClain	Substance-abuse policy	10 games
DeMarcus Lawrence	Substance-abuse policy	4 games

And now we know for certain that the moves weren't worth it, because the Cowboys are entering training camp at a beautiful new facility and yet the football world is instead focusing on their problem children. 

Ideally for the Cowboys and their fans, the fact this mess is preventing the media from focusing on the team's new practice site just as it approaches its grand opening will cause Jones to realize that he went too far last spring. Ideally, he'll learn to exercise a little more restraint when presented with another opportunity to gamble on a distraction-waiting-to-happen like Hardy or Gregory.

I get it. His team was this close in 2014, and he lost sight of the big picture as a result. The Cowboys front office failed to see the damage it was doing with those questionable moves. Now it's time to admit that, in an attempt to get back on the good side of the football gods. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012.