After his release from the Dallas Cowboys, Lucky Whitehead has been in the news a lot — but he won’t be when the New York Jets decide to cut him
The Dallas Cowboys are in the wrong when they don’t overreact to a player with off-field mistakes, like when they didn’t release running back Joseph Randle right away following his arrest for shoplifting. They are also wrong when they do overreact, like when they did release receiver Lucky Whitehead for the same thing, when he was subsequently cleared of any wrong doing.
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But let’s look at the real reason Dallas was so quick to pull the trigger on Whitehead, but not Randle. The first player to get busted was the running back who they had faith in as a player. Randle was supposed to take over for 2014 NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray and become a star. They expected big things from him. Therefore, they tolerated missteps. Was that the wrong move? Ultimately, yes it was, as the troubled running back kept doing dumb things.
As for Whitehead, he was cut way too fast as it became clear later he did nothing wrong. The backlash for Dallas has been unrelenting, and really makes no sense. People are quick to say the Cowboys overreacted and Whitehead should have never lost his job. Not only that, but the former undrafted kick returner has been in the headlines daily since his release, most recently claiming Dallas wouldn’t give him an explanation for his release according to Thomas Lipe of the New York Post.
"“The explanation? I don’t think I really got an explanation.”"
There’s even been talk of Whitehead suing the team and, of course, people who oppose the franchise think it’s the right move. The problem is, they’re failing to see why Whitehead really was cut.
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The bogus arrest report may have tipped the scales and escalated things, but it’s obvious Whitehead was not in their plans. Dallas has shown patience with players — as all teams usually do — in the face of adversity, with one caveat: those players are in the future plans.
Teams known for no nonsense approaches like the Pittsburgh Steelers have stuck by players like Martavis Bryant and running back Le’Veon Bell despite off-field trouble. Same with the Houston Texans with receiver Jaelen Strong and running back D’Onta Foreman. This is what Dallas has done with people like Randle and, more recently, Damien Wilson, their linebacker who also found himself in hot water this offseason. It’s common practice to wait things out if a player is in your future plans.
Whitehead was not in those plans for the Cowboys, though. Dallas spent a 2017 fourth-round pick on receiver and potential return man Ryan Switzer to be an upgrade over Whitehead, who had underwhelmed in two seasons at the job with no career touchdowns and four fumbles — three of which came in 2016. Dallas may have cut him following the arrest, but his performance is what cost him his job.
In all actuality, the move was a positive for Whitehead. Now instead of battling for a sixth receiver spot and trying to beat out a draft pick for a return job, he has less competition with the Jets. Still, he’s no lock to make the team by any stretch.
So, if he does fail to do so, will there be cries for him to sue? Will the Jets be called out for moving on from an undrafted player that has yet to make his mark in the league? Will Whitehead be gracing the headlines saying New York gave him no explanation?
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Probably not. Instead, he will get lost in the shuffle of the hundreds of other names that get cut as the season approaches of players who get cut for not being good enough to make the final roster. Which is the real reason Dallas moved on from him. Whitehead would do right by himself to move on as well and focus on making the Jets roster.