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Alas, the 2019 season for the Cowboys has mercifully come to an end. It was a season that had its share of highs, lows and one horrible loss to the New York Jets. In grand Cowboys fashion, the season ended with a meaningless win over a terrible Washington Redskins team. They finished their season with an 8-8 record. This is befitting for what could be the final game for Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett. We hope.
The Good:
- This was one of the more impressive wins for the Dallas Cowboys this season. Although it was an empty win, the offense played great and the best player on Sunday was wide receiver Michael Gallup. The final game of his 2019 season was a great one that included 98 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He looked like a No. 1 receiver Sunday afternoon and that could come into play with Amari Cooper 's uncertain future with the Cowboys. (More on that in the ugly section)
- Kai Forbath has done a great job since joining the Cowboys. He has made every single field goal and the extra point he has attempted during his brief tenure for his new team. The Cowboys did a great job replacing the wildly inconsistent Brett Maher and could have their kicker for the future. Why it took so long to replace Maher is beyond me, but Forbath has reinvigorated his career with The Cowboys.
- The 2019 MVP for the Cowboys has to be Ezekiel Elliott. He had a great season rushing for over 1300 yards (the third time in 4 years in which he rushed for over 1000 yards) and was 4th in the league in rushing this season. When his game was on this season, no one could stop Elliott. His last game against the Redskins was his second-best performance of the season behind his stellar Monday night game against the Giants. After all of the controversy he caused this offseason, he has more than lived up to his contract. He will continue to be the Cowboys superstar running back for many years to come.
The Bad:
- It was difficult to decide what to put in this category. The bad for me was that the season finale was basically meaningless. As previously mentioned, they put up an impressive offensive performance against the abysmal Redskins. However their offensive explosion proved to be all for nothing. Their victory was short lived, for the Eagles beat the Giants to win the NFC East. This was a team that was expected to do well this season, but unfortunately disappointed all of us every step of the way. There is too much talent on this team to miss the playoffs and finish 8-8. Changes will be coming sooner rather than later this offseason.
- Speaking of disappointments, let's talk about Dak Prescott's 2019 season. On paper, he had a tremendous year throwing of over 4000 yards ( a career-high). His numbers were great, but his performance on the field was mediocre, to say the least. His performance Sunday was another example of how he can only put up superior numbers against a subpar team. Coming into this season, he was looking to receive a contract extension north of 30 million a year. After this season, he will be lucky if he even gets the franchise tag.
- Overall, this game wasn't bad and I couldn't think of much else to put in this category. I would simply be reiterating the same point about their season being a loss, so im going to save that for a future article.
The Ugly
- This really isn't ugly but bittersweet. This could be the final game for multiple Cowboys players. As previously mentioned next season Dak Prescott will be a free agent along with Amari Cooper. I do believe one of these players will find employment elsewhere this offseason, with Cooper being the more likely person to leave via free agency. Jason Witten could also leave this season as he has contemplated retirement again. The theory is he could go into coaching and maybe be the next Cowboys' head coach. But that is a story we can save for the offseason.
- Jason Garrett, all I have to say is good luck to you and your future employment elsewhere. After 10 years of coaching the Dallas Cowboys, it is time to move on and look for someone else to man the helm in 2020. He did not do a bad job during his tenure for he is finishing with a coaching record above .500 and is the seconding winningest coach in Cowboys' history. But the problem with Garrett is that he could never get them over the hump. Three playoff wins in 10 years is not goos and the Cowboys need a confident coach with playoff experience. It is time for both parties to move on and Sunday's victory against the Redskins would be a nice way to end his Cowboys' coaching career.
- This team has Super Bowl aspirations and talent as far as the eye could see. To end the season the way they did with an 8-8 record is unacceptable. 2020 will be a bounce-back year for the Cowboys, and I look forward to seeing what moves can be made this offseason.
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Former major-leaguers are rising to prominent front office roles throughout MLB. Composite Getty Image.
Shortly after his playing career ended, Jerry Dipoto took in a game at Wrigley Field with former big league manager Jim Fregosi. After a particularly nasty strikeout by Eric Gagne, Dipoto laughed.
Fregosi promptly slapped Dipoto on the back of his head.
“He said, ‘I’m just going to remind you today. ... Don’t ever forget how hard that it is to play,’” Dipoto recalled. “And that’s what I think is the thing I remember most, and I think the benefit of the guys who have gone through it, is that they recognize that it is a really hard game.”
That lesson stayed with Dipoto as he made his way to his current job with the Seattle Mariners — and membership in an exclusive club. Dipoto is one of five former major leaguers serving as the top baseball executive for a big league franchise at the moment.
Dipoto, 56, has been the president of baseball operations for Seattle since Sept. 1, 2021. Like Dipoto, Chris Young, 45, was promoted from general manager to president of baseball operations for the Texas Rangers on Sept. 13. Craig Breslow was hired as the chief baseball officer for the Boston Red Sox on Oct. 25, 2023, and Chris Getz was promoted to GM of the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 31, 2023.
Buster Posey, 37, joined the list when the former All-Star catcher was hired as president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants in September.
“There are a ton of incredibly successful executives who didn’t play baseball,” said Breslow, 44. “I don’t think it’s a prerequisite, but I do think it provides a level of credibility and empathy given I’ve kind of been on every side of a transaction, or every side of a conversation I’ve had to have with a player or coach. And credibility in terms of really being able to understand what players are thinking about, what they’re going through.”
Under Breslow's leadership, Boston used a complicated contract structure to add Alex Bregman in free agency. Bregman also was being pursued by the Cubs and Tigers before he agreed to a $120 million, three-year deal with the Red Sox.
San Francisco had been struggling to land a major free agent before shortstop Willy Adames agreed to a $182 million, seven-year contract with the Giants in December. Adames said Posey played a major role in his decision.
“My meeting with the team, it was me and him, basically. No agent. Nobody,” Adames said. “So we had a really, really good conversation, and I bought into his plan for this organization, for what he wants to build here in the near future.”
Breslow has a degree from Yale and Young graduated from Princeton, so the five players in charge of major league teams doesn't exactly represent some sort of counterrevolution when it comes to Ivy League grads in baseball.
But today's major-leaguers are increasingly savvy when it comes to the business side of the game, and they have firsthand experience with the data used by front offices as part of their decision-making process.
“Where we were a decade ago to where we are now, there's just so much opportunity to make better decisions nowadays based on the information that we have,” said Getz, 41. “But being well-versed in it now, you know having a former playing background is only going to position you, your résumé is just stronger.”
While that big league career is an asset in a variety of ways, it also creates a unique set of blind spots. Building out a front office that complements one another is key, Dipoto said.
“I learned to adapt along the way to things I didn’t know and to trust people who are smarter than I am to fill in those gaps,” he said, “and to recognize when I’m allowing my want to be a good teammate and my want to love the good teammate, sometimes, you have be able to discern when that doesn’t equal best player fit for this situation.”
There are several more people in position to join the club one day. Brandon Gomes helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series last year, serving as the team's GM under Andrew Friedman. Ryan Garko was promoted to assistant GM with the Detroit Tigers in May. Cole Figueroa is an assistant GM for the Rangers.
Kevin Reese and Tim Naehring work for longtime New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, and Josh Barfield is part of Getz's front office with the White Sox.
When it comes to his discussions with players interested in working in baseball operations, Breslow said the conversations provide an indication of the potential for success.
“It becomes pretty clear, generally who has the curiosity, who asks a lot of questions,” he said. "Who wants to learn why we make decisions not just what decisions are being made. Those are the people (that could make the transition).”