The Dallas Cowboys defense is an utter mess, and that's thanks to the coach staff's biggest fear, per Bryan Broads of DallasCowboys.com:
"The biggest fear of a coaching staff is what happens off the field. They can only control these players so much but with that being said - how they evaluate these players in the future with questionable character flaws needs to be reviewed going forward."
What happens off the field has been disastrous for the Cowboys this summer as off-field issues reared their ugly heads. Linebacker Rolando McClain (10 games), defensive end Randy Gregory (four games) and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence (four games) were all suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Gregory, the youngest of the group, failed a drug test at the NFL combine and failed two more last season before his latest, resulting in a four-game suspension, based on the NFL's drug-testing policy. Lawrence, a third-year player, is also an up-and-coming player who will be sorely missed.
Rumors ramped up that Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott and teammate Joey Bosa partied hard during their time at Ohio State, but never failed a drug test. That's after the failed experiment with defensive end Greg Hardy last season, in which his off-the-field issues became a reported serious issue in the Cowboys locker room.
Following these issues, reports have escalated that the coaching staff and front office are at odds over the handling of players, specifically McClain. Whether they make any changes for more "character-friendly" players versus talent remains to be seen.
In the end, what matters more to Jerry Jones — clean PR or championships?
Currently, the Cowboys have neither.
