Cowboys owner Jerry Jones does two radio interviews per week in Dallas. With the Cowboys hosting the Giants this weekend, he added another one, in New York.
And, as Jerry often does, he said something interesting.
Appearing with Gary Myers on ESPN New York, Jones said the Cowboys called the Jets about a possible Micah Parsons trade. Jones wanted defensive tackle Quinnen Williams as the starting point for a trade.
The Jets, per Jones, did not have the resources to do the deal. Jones has consistently said that the Cowboys wanted to emerge from the transaction with a run-stuffing defensive tackle. (They eventually got Kenny Clark, if you haven’t heard, as part of a trade with the Packers.)
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported last Sunday that the Cowboys could get no traction with any AFC teams. It’s surprising, frankly, that the Bills and the Ravens weren’t boxing each other out for Parsons.
For the Ravens especially, it would have been a lot easier to hold that 15-point, fourth-quarter lead with Parsons chasing around reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said at his Friday morning press conference that there were no concerns about cornerback Sauce Gardner being able to play against the Bills on Sunday and nothing changed after the team’s practice session.
Gardner was a full participant after being limited by a groin injury on Thursday and he has no designation for Sunday.
Tight end Mason Taylor (ankle) and cornerback Michael Carter (shoulder) were also full participants, but they are both listed as questionable for Week 2.
Kick returner Kene Nwangwu (hamstring), wide receiver Josh Reynolds (hamstring), and defensive tackle Jay Tufele (illness) will not play after being ruled out on Friday.
The Bills will have their starting running back for Sunday’s matchup against the Jets.
James Cook is off the injury report and is set to play in Week 2.
Cook was limited with a hamstring injury on Wednesday, but was upgraded to full participation on Thursday and Friday.
Cook accounted for 102 yards from scrimmage — 44 rushing, 58 receiving — with a touchdown in last week’s comeback victory over the Ravens.
As head coach Sean McDermott announced earlier on Friday, defensive tackle Ed Oliver is out with an ankle injury suffered this week.
Cornerback Tre-Davious White (groin), linebacker Shaq Thompson (hamstring/hand), cornerback Taron Johnson (quad), and defensive back Jordan Hancock (shoulder) are all questionable. All four players were limited for Buffalo’s Thursday and Friday practices.
Receiver Keon Coleman (groin), tight end Dawson Knox (hip), defensive end Greg Rousseau (knee), cornerback Christian Benford (groin), and cornerback Brandon Codrington (knee) are all off the injury report and are set to play.
The Bills will be missing a significant defensive piece when they face the Jets on Sunday.
Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters on Friday that defensive tackle Ed Oliver will miss the game. Oliver injured his ankle during practice this week and was using a scooter to get around on Thursday.
The Bills have a quick turnaround to a Thursday night game against the Dolphins in Week 3, so it could turn out to be a multi-game absence if he doesn’t make a quick recovery.
Second-round pick T.J. Sanders will be in line for a larger role against a Jets offense that displayed an impressive rushing attack in their Week 1 loss to the Steelers.
The Nikefication of the NFL is working.
Yes, I’m in the “get off my lawn” camp when it comes to the proliferation of alternate jerseys and helmets for NFL teams. When Nike first got the NFL apparel contract in 2012, I knew it was just a matter of time before plenty of pro teams looked like Oregon, with a different uniform combination nearly every week.
It won’t be ending. For one very important reason. Or, more accurately, for millions of them.
At the end of the day, it’s a revenue stream. It’s more stuff for fans to buy. Previously, there were three things for the wish list: helmet, dark jersey, light jersey. Now, there are up to three helmets and (frankly) we’ve lost count of the available jerseys for purchase.
And it’s working. According to Sports Business Journal, the first eight “Rivalries” uniforms are selling. Well. On Wednesday, the league, Nike, and Fanatics launched the AFC East/NFC West versions of the latest alternate look. And it was (unfortunately) Fanatics’ ”biggest and highest selling product launch ever and its best overall day of merchandise sales so far this year,” via SBJ. The “Rivalries” jerseys made up 80 percent of all sales across the entire Fanatics network.
The top-selling team was the 49ers, and the top-selling player was Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
So get ready for more disruptions to the traditional uniforms. And get ready for more nonsensical marketing plans, like calling a game played on September 11 a “winter warning.”
The fact that these alternate jerseys are selling means there will be more. And more. And more.
It’s similar to cramming commercials into RedZone, or flexing games from Sunday to Thursday or Thursday to Sunday or Sunday to Monday or Monday to Sunday, regardless of the impact of such changes to the travel plans of fans.
The NFL is a drug. And we’re all addicted. Even if we don’t like the changes the supplier is making, we’ll keep scratching our necks and asking for more.
