Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones recently joined 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM) to discuss Micah Parsons trade rumors, DaRon Bland’s injury progress and more.
Here are some highlights, edited for length and clarity:
Micah Parsons said he was flattered so many people talked about his trade value last week. Was his name ever, or has it ever been brought up as a potential trade candidate?
Jerry Jones: “No. Absolutely not.”
So teams don’t call you, Jerry? Did teams call you and see?
Jones: “Well, first of all, I wouldn’t because we want Micah Parsons. He’s integral to our future. So “no” is the big answer. What if I got on the phone around here and picked the top player around the league, three or four of them, you know what I’d get if I picked up the phone and said, ‘You want to trade him?’ A big “no,” are you kidding me? The point is that we haven’t done that and that hasn’t been done. We haven’t had one conversation, one conversation at the level that counts, which is my level and with Stephen [Jones] and Will [McClay] and people like that. But we haven’t had one conversation ever about not having Micah Parsons on the team. Ever.”
Can you tell us any more about what’s been happening with DaRon Bland? A few weeks ago, it seemed like he was ready to go. He suffered a setback. How big of a setback happened since he’s still not practicing all these weeks later?
Jones: “We don’t ever, no matter technically or how somebody evaluates from their injury, or the progress they’re making, or what they should make. It is a big swing between players as to the same injury when they’re going to be ready to go. We never, whether it be in-game or out of game or for the duration of several weeks, we never dismiss the No. 1 consideration and that’s how does the player feel? How does he feel? Can he rely on it? Does he push off on it? Is he free to cut on it? Where is he going? Because at the end of the day, that’s all that counts.
“I’ve seen players go out there with unrepaired injuries and play randomly with an unrepaired injury and play more aggressive and play quicker than players that have had the injury repaired. And they’re still tentative on it. Now, that doesn’t mean a thing about the quality of the individual or the player at all.”
You’ve got Kellen Moore on the other side of the ball again like last year. What did you like about Kellen while he was here and how have you seen him grow since he left?
Jones: “Well, Kellen was such an outstanding player in college. So, so accomplished in college and he did it as much as anything with his savvy. He’s a coach’s son that was really coached up and he really had a great college career. He uses the same thing that made him a really outstanding quarterback in college, outstanding offensive player in college. He uses that over into coaching. That’s quite an edge. When you get these guys that have played a key position, like the quarterback in an offense, and he’s also been around some really top coordinators. The time that he spent here with Mike [McCarthy] did nothing but enhance his coaching abilities in my view.
“He’s going to be around a long time. He’s an outstanding coach and he’ll be formidable out there as the offensive coordinator against us.”
Listen to the rest of Jones’ radio appearance here.
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