Jerry Jones: Are Offseason Promises Lip Service or Reality?

With Super Bowl 46 in our rear-view mirrors, the time of year has now come where we watch the calendar and wait for the next key dates to see what the Dallas Cowboys will do to fix their offseason needs. 

First up is the combine, then free agency and then the draft.  In the meantime, Cowboys fans press on and continue to dive into the abyss of endless information and analysis as we try and play GM and coach.  It's what we love to do. 

So what do we know as of right now?  Do we have a clear vision of what Jerry Jones' overall strategy might be in trying to fix this team?  His plan for free agency and the draft? Salary-cap casualties?  Potential trades? 

All we do know is that Jerry Jones has publicly stated and acknowledged that change is on the horizon for this team heading into 2012 and he intends to assertively make those changes.  He's also publicly stated that the Cowboys are in good shape cap-wise and acquiring the right personnel would not be an issue. 

But is this sheer optimism he's trying to sell the fans like he does every offseason, or will he in fact deliver on those promises?

Since his takeover of the Cowboys back in 1989 Jerry Jones has transcended this team by winning three Super Bowls in his first seven years of ownership.  He's also made his mark in the NFL by serving on influential committees and helping the NFL become the global brand it is today. 

His passion for the Cowboys is unquestioned and his success is well-documented.  However, for all of his early accomplishments and business prowess lies an extensive list of horrendous decision-making related to the product he's put on the football field the last 16 seasons. 

The fact that Cowboys fans haven't even had a sniff of at least an NFC Championship game is nothing short of utter embarrassment. 

So as we approach these key dates and events that will shape the 2012 season, Jerry Jones, yet again, is quarterbacking the process.  Can he get this done?  Will he get this done?  I'm sure he thinks so. 

He's the one who thinks nobody can do the job better and he will never remove himself from the GM role.  

He'll lean on Stephen Jones, Jason Garrett, Rob Ryan, other coaches, the scouts and maybe even his grandson for direction in trying to fix the problems on this team, but the final decisions will ultimately rest on his shoulders.

They key here on deciphering whether he is selling lip service simply is about trust. 

As Cowboys fans, do we trust in Jerry Jones enough to think that he's sick of losing in the most creative of ways, that he feels the same pain the fans feel and is he motivated and focused enough to finally close the gap and make this team relevant and consistent winners?

It's not just about winning in 2012, it's about assembling the right team for sustained success.  I have to believe from a rational perspective that Jerry Jones intends to deliver on his promises for this offseason. 

In reviewing some of his comments from the Senior Bowl and Shrine Game, I detect a little less optimism and comfort in his voice these days about the roster and watching the Giants win another Super Bowl had to be gut-wrenching for this man if he has a pulse. 

Right now for this organization being uncomfortable is a good thing, as no one should feel comfortable about where we are.

We all know what the needs are for this team to succeed in 2012.  That blueprint was established as our weaknesses became magnified down the stretch of the 2011 season.  The problems that exist as of today for the Dallas Cowboys are a direct byproduct of past decisions made by Jerry Jones. 

In order for him to make the right decisions in 2012 and beyond he needs to start with the most important one and that is to deliver on his intent to address the needs of this team.  

I believe he can make this a reality by simply looking at the failures of the past to shape future success.  Jerry has to deliver reality and not lip service.