As the Dallas Cowboys went through the malaise of 8-8 seasons, their lack of playoff wins this century becoming a running joke, it became a cottage industry to criticize Jerry Jones and his football acumen.
Well, who's laughing now?
After a 12-4 season that resulted in a NFC East title, a playoff win and a controversial and close playoff loss, Jones was named the NFL's executive of the year by the Pro Football Writers of America. It's hard to say he didn't deserve it either.
Jones, the Cowboys' owner, likes running the football side of things. The mocking of that probably reached its peak when the Cowboys chose center Travis Frederick with the 31st pick of the 2013 draft. The pick was considered a reach, to say the least. Calls went out yet again for Jones to find someone who knew what he was doing to build the team.
Frederick was the second-ranked center in the NFL by Pro Football Focus in his second season, was named to the Pro Bowl and was a key member of the best offensive line in football.
Jones doubled down on that by drafting Notre Dame guard Zack Martin in the first round of the 2014 draft. Martin was an All-Pro as a rookie.
Jones also got plenty of heat for sticking by coach Jason Garrett despite a lack of success his first three full seasons. Garrett was one of the best coaches in the NFL in his fourth year and Jones rewarded him this week with a five-year deal worth a reported $6 million a year.
Are we entering an era in which Jones is considered one of the best personnel men in the NFL? We probably have a long way to go before that's a popular thought. But the man deserves credit. He dealt with a lot of jokes through the years. He ended up building a very good roster this season. He deserves the award, and a bit of "I told you so."
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