The Dallas Cowboys don’t expect any bathroom accidents this season. If any of their players wind up needing to change their underwear during practice or a game, the Cowboys failed to accomplish their goal in the draft. That’s basically how Cowboys assistant director of player personnel Will McClay described the team’s approach earlier this week.
McClay, the man in charge of evaluating talent for Jerry Jones, said some of the Cowboys’ picks may have come as a surprise because they made it their top priority to select players they believe can handle the pressure of playing for America’s team.
“I think it was important for us to say if we’re trying to build this thing and get to a point where we can win now, who has been able to handle the pressure of a big time program?” McClay explained, via Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News. “Who will most likely be able to come into a situation like the Dallas Cowboys and the microscope that we’re under with all the games we play on national TV, and not, pardon the expression, pee their pants? We want grown men that are able to handle the situation.”
That would make sense for first-round pick Zack Martin, an offensive lineman from Notre Dame. Many expected the Cowboys to bolster their defense in the first round, but they chose to make some very quiet selections. They waited until the fifth round to take a skill player and did not draft a defensive back until the seventh round.
“We wanted to find players that filled roles. We spent time with the coaching staff and the scouts went out, did the things and did the work that we asked,” McClay added. “We came back with a good feeling for the guys that were on our draft board and the guys that we picked.”
And guys with very, very strong bladders. In other words, don’t be like Tony Romo.
