Dallas Cowboys’ Will McClay Name to Watch in Jets General Manager Search

A New York Jets insider notes that one of the Dallas Cowboys’ top personnel people is a name to watch in the team’s general manager search.

May 14, 2022; Frisco, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy (L) talks with vice president of player personnel Will McClay (R) during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

With ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reporting that the New York Jets intend to cast a wide net when it comes to their general manager and coaching search, the expectation is that New York will be speaking to a lot of potential candidates when the season ends.

Many believe that owner Woody Johnson will hire a general manager first. If so, ESPN Jets insider Rich Cimini said on his “Flight Deck” podcast that Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay is a name to watch.

In Dallas, owner and general manager Jerry Jones makes the decisions on draft day. But McClay is the man that gathers all of the information so that Jones can make those decisions.

His NFL experience is deeply rooted in player evaluation. He joined the Cowboys in 2002 as a pro scout and worked his way up from there. He became the franchise’s pro scouting coordinator in 2009 and then the director of football research in 2011.

During his early days with the Cowboys, he did double-duty with the Arena Football League’s Dallas Desperados. He was a defensive coordinator and later the team’s head coach for five years, where he was named the AFL coach of the year in 2006. He was also a three-time AFL champion as a player.

The direction of his career with the Cowboys changed in 2014 when he was promoted to assistant director of player personnel after Dallas absorbed criticism about its draft process. He oversaw the Cowboys’ draft work and set the team’s big board. He was later named the senior director of pro/college scouting before he was promoted to vice president.

He’s well-respected for his personnel acumen, but his job description has widened to a role in free agency and in trade acquisitions.

Aside from being the “decider” on draft day, the only other thing McClay doesn’t do for the Cowboys is negotiate contracts, which falls under the umbrella of Cowboys COO Stephen Jones, Jerry’s son.

Other NFL teams have noticed and he’s been in demand for job interviews the past few years. Last year at least two teams wanted to talk with McClay about their job. But, he actually turned down those requests to stay with Dallas.

Jones has gone to great lengths to make sure that McClay is well-compensated in an attempt to ensure he has every reason to stay.

So why might McClay be interested? It’s unclear. But, as long as he works for the Jones family, he won’t be the “decider.” If that works for him, great. If it doesn’t, the Jets may offer him the chance to interview for a job where he can be the decision-maker and bring that personnel acumen to the Big Apple.