Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made a point of praising Vice President of Player Personnel Will McClay today, saying that McClay has done tremendous work overseeing the scouting staff in preparation for the NFL draft. But Jones also made clear that he’ll never promote McClay to the title of General Manager.
Jones began talking about McClay by saying he hesitates to talk about everything McClay does for the Cowboys because he doesn’t want McClay to get hired away by a team that makes him General Manager.
“I don’t want anybody to know bout Will,” Jones said. “I’m teasing but I’m not teasing. He’s very unique and he has great people skills. And I mean they work for Will -- those scouts, and that’s a management job, those scouts on the road. . . . Will’s got a big job. He’s got a big job of managing -- and I mean managing, because they are on the road most of the time, those guys who are there. Outstanding, best group I’ve ever been associated with in 30 years.”
A reporter then asked Jones about promoting McClay to General Manager, which Jones immediately shot down -- because Jones himself is the General Manager.
“But I can’t make him the General Manager. We have one,” Jones answered.
So McClay can’t advance in his career beyond VP of Player Personnel, unless he leaves Dallas.