When it comes to the Dallas Cowboys there is no shortage of opinion from across the internet. Fans of the team have a lot to say about the organization and these days it is mostly negative. Having the longest NFC Championship Game appearance drought, among other things, will have that sort of impact.
While fan opinion certainly matters. it is always interesting to see what players themselves think. Thankfully for all of us we can legitimately understand what they did in fact say.
On Wednesday the latest round of NFLPA Team Report cards emerged and the Dallas Cowboys graded out fairly nice overall with a ranking of 10th in the NFL. The problem spot is near the very bottom of the league and concerns the team’s training staff/facilities.
NFLPA Team Report Cards
- Treatment of Families…………………A (4th)
- Food / Dining Area……………………. B+ (11th)
- Nutritionist / Dietician……………….. B+ (17th)
- Locker Room……………………………. A (6th)
- Training Room………………………….. C (27th)
- Training Staff……………………………. C (30th)
- Weight Room……………………………. A- (11th)
- Strength Coaches……………………… B+ (18th)
- Team Travel………………………………. B- (23rd)
- Head Coach………………………………. A (14th)
- Ownership………………………………… B (18th)
As you can see, most of the grades for the team were either very good or average. The Cowboys fared most well with regards to treatment of families (it was noted they provide daycare during home games and a family room as well) and the locker room (although it was noted that a third of responded felt there were ongoing plumbing problems in the locker room).
The Cowboys graded poorly in both the training room and training staff departments. Here is what the report offered.
Training Room
75% of Cowboys players feel they have enough full-time trainers, ranking them 30 out of 32 teams.
60% of players feel they have enough full-time physical therapists, a rank of 32 out of 32.
95% of players feel they have enough hot tub space, a rank of 9 out of 32.
88% of players feel they have enough cold tub space, a rank of 13 out of 32.
Players report that the training room is understaffed, particularly an insufficient number of physical therapists. They also feel that the training room lacks certain modalities found in most other NFL training rooms.
Training Staff
72% of Cowboys players report that they receive enough one-on-one training treatment, ranking them 29 out of 32 teams.
The players feel that their training staff slightly contributes to their overall success, ranking them 31 of 32.
This is a pretty big indictment against the way that the Cowboys go about handling their training room and staff, and this is a matter that has been brought up before. It is important to remember that these are evaluations based on the season and year that just finished, so we are talking about what preceded the Brian Schottenheimer era as he was just hired.
Mike McCarthy is gone as the team’s head coach, but he advocated often for things like this in the name of helping his players. On the subject of McCarthy, he was given a pretty high mark in the blurb that was offered in the team overview.
The Dallas Cowboys finish this season in the top 10, excelling in several areas. Their facilities, including the locker room and weight room, are top-tier, and they consistently rank among the best in how the organization treats players’ families. When the players were asked what the team is currently doing best, the most consistent answer was the leadership of head coach Mike McCarthy and the culture he fostered. (Note: Mike McCarthy was fired as head coach after the season.)
It should be noted that McCarthy was not fired and that his contract simply expired. There is a difference in a technical sense.
But it is something to note that the players felt that the thing that the team was doing best was the leadership of Mike McCarthy and that the Cowboys did not bring him back. Hopefully the Cowboys take this seriously and work on their training situation in the name of giving Schottenheimer the best chance possible.
RJ Ochoa
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