The Roy Williams Trade: The Real Reason Behind the Dallas Cowboys' 8-8 Season

Bleacher Report   2/1/12 10:09 PM

The as Cowboys finished with a disappointing 8-8 record in 2011. The season was disappointing to the media, the fans and most importantly the players. The season, however, may not have been such a disappointment to Coach Jason Garrett. Coaches usually have a pretty accurate read of the real-talent level on their roster. At the beginning of the season, Jason Garrett may have thought an 8-8 record and having a shot at the NFC East title in week 17 would have been a successful season. Obviously everyone, including Garrett, at Valley Ranch wanted more. But the veteran cuts and rebuilding process that took place after the lockout made that unrealistic. A shot at a division championship in week 17 may have been looked at as a success during that process. The Cowboys cut Marion Barber III, Leonard Davis and Andre Gurode after the lockout. All three players have played integral roles in the Cowboys' success since 2007--the year the Cowboys won their first divisional title with Romo. The cuts did not end there. The most telling release of the offseason was Roy E. Williams. After two and a half seasons of dropped passes, miscommunication with Romo and lack of an impact, the Cowboys cut the wide receiver they believed was the missing piece to a Super Bowl run in 2008. Jerry Jones was both revered and questioned after trading the Cowboys' first, third and sixth-round picks for Roy Williams. Many critics believed the Cowboys gave up way too much for a one-time Pro Bowl...