Cowboys News: Latest hire will unlock powerful gameday weapon
When reading the words "gameday weapon," the mind of a football fan likely gravitates toward a play-making wide receiver or an explosive running back. But in today's NFL, it can also come in the shape of having an analytics equivalent of Spider-Man's "guy in a chair." That's what the Dallas Cowboys are getting in their […]
When reading the words "gameday weapon," the mind of a football fan likely gravitates toward a play-making wide receiver or an explosive running back. But in today's NFL, it can also come in the shape of having an analytics equivalent of Spider-Man's "guy in a chair."
That's what the Dallas Cowboys are getting in their latest hiring. According to ESPN's Seth Walder, the Cowboys hired John Park as their Director of Strategic Football Operations.
Unbeknownst to the average fan, Park spent seven years with the Indianapolis Colts reshaping how the team incorporates data into the decision-making off and on the field.
Let's face it, is easier to get excited about a football player than it is about somebody who fans won't even get to see on Sundays when sitting down to watch the Cowboys. But an inside look at what Park brings to the table leaves no doubt that he'll make a big impact on how things go down on gameday.
Consider the following excerpt from a story published by The Athletic in 2018 about Park's impact on the Colts:
"(During a game, Colts head coach Frank) Reich might instead be talking to Li and Park. These days, data is ever-present in the Colts organization, including at the most critical points in games.
“We’ll be talking (on the headsets), ‘Hey, if this is a completion, do we take the timeout here?’ ” Reich said. “I’m talking about during the game.”
That last scenario gives you a sense of the breadth of the information available. If you can name it, Li and Park have a data point to address it.
– Stephen Holder, The Athletic (2018)
The Cowboys' hire of John Park has been universally praised on social media by the analytics community. Keep in mind, several experts around the league have come from social media and posted content online.
The move couldn't have come at a better time as well. When McCarthy joined the Cowboys in 2020, he claimed he was expecting to implement analytics in a major way. Now that he's set to undertake a bigger role on gameday by calling the plays, it's particularly helpful to have somebody with Park's background help him with situational decision-making with him focusing on how to beat the opponent's coverage.
Just how involved Park and the analytics department will be in the 2023 season remains to be seen but the hiring itself is a promising sign that the Cowboys are looking for an edge everywhere and are willing to make the most out of available data.
Featured image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
