NFL analyst calls Jerry Jones’ belief in Cowboys worse than “delusional”
Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are entering a regular season following one of the arguably most controversial offseasons of Jones' tenure. With few improvements made on the roster and more questions in September than there were in January, most fans have braced for a step back this season in Dallas.
However, Cowboys general manager Jerry Jones believes differently to the dismay of NFL analyst Harry Douglas. Speaking on the Stephen A. Smith show, Jones addressed the criticism, expressing surprise, via Get Up.
6:37, Jerry Jones: "I'm surprised that it isn't more apparent to fans that we put an outstanding team together. I think the team is in better shape to roll than it was last year."
Douglas responded to the comment on Get Up, calling Jones worse than delusional (7:30):
"That's not even the worst part. Jerry Jones firmly believes it, that's the worst part. It was last week, I said Jerry was delusional. I think it's getting worse now. He actually believes that the Dallas Cowboys are a better team today than they were a season ago. That's insane to me."
Jones won't have to wait long to see his mostly returning roster in action. The Cowboys play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, on a bigger-than-normal stage due to Tom Brady's debut as a commentator. The pressure on the Cowboys will be immense. Will the Cowboys blink first?
Outlining Jerry Jones' offseason moves
At the start of the offseason, Jones had seemingly the world at his feet. After winning the NFC East, he seemed to be on the precipice of getting somewhere big with the team with a big offseason. However, the team instead largely stayed put. Dak Prescott, Mike McCarthy and Micah Parsons are still wondering about their futures.
CeeDee Lamb was eventually signed to a new deal, but the deal was completed so late that it set him up for a slow start to the season.
In terms of additions, the Cowboys added defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer after losing Dan Quinn. They rebuilt the running back room from scratch, adding Royce Freeman and Ezekiel Elliott as the biggest pieces for the year. However, aside from that, there were few other notable additions.
As such, most have braced for the ceiling to be the same as in 2023, if not lower. Will Jones prove the world wrong this season?
If any of the above quotes are used, credit the "Stephen A. Smith Show," Get Up and H/T Sportskeeda.