Cowboys Disappointed But Not Blindsided by McClain Suspension

Dallas Cowboys executive vice president and C.O.O. Stephen Jones is obviously disappointed that the team will be without the services of middle linebacker Rolando McClain for the first four games of the 2015 season, but the team is glad they were able to brace themselves for McClain’s absence to some degree.

Knowing that McClain was potentially facing a suspension and not knowing if they’d have him on the roster at all--he was a free agent at the time--the Cowboys signed veteran Jasper Brinkley to a two-year deal back in March. So when the suspension was announced earlier this month, the Cowboys weren’t exactly blindsided.

“You’re disappointed any time a player is not going to be out on the field. You certainly want players to be accountable for their actions off the field,” Jones said, per the Dallas Morning News. “I know he certainly feels like he should be better than that with his teammates and things of that nature.

“At the same time, the bigger frustration is when you’re not aware of some things. My point is whether it’s a [Greg] Hardy or McClain, we had our eyes wide open and we did things accordingly in the offseason as well. That’s why we drafted a linebacker. That’s why we signed a couple of linebackers in free agency and certainly we put some resources into the defensive line, drafting a couple of defensive ends in the draft. We certainly knew these were possibilities with these two guys, but at the same time we think these guys have some things we think they can bring to the table that can help this team to make it worth it.”