IRVING, Texas -- I’m skeptical on the whole notion that Jerry Jones has ceded “final say” to Jason Garrett. When Garrett says he doesn’t want “sole decision making power,” I think you will see a collaborative effort with Garrett having a large say.

And that’s mostly how the Cowboys have worked under Jones, whether you want to believe it or not. Troy Aikman has said the same thing multiple times.

The head coach has had tremendous power under Jones. What he wants, he mostly gets. Chan Gailey didn’t want Randy Moss, so the Cowboys didn’t take him. Stories might differ now but if Bill Parcells stood on the table and said he didn’t want Terrell Owens, Jones wouldn’t have signed him.

And does anybody remember what happened three days after the Cowboys signed Owens? They cut Larry Allen. Jones got his in Owens. Parcells got his in Allen.

Too many times in his three-plus years as coach Wade Phillips said, “Well, whatever Jerry wants …,” which was followed by a big smile and laughs from the room. That’s the absolute wrong way to go about handling Jones.

Having played for Jones, worked as an assistant under Jones and now Jones’ head coach, Garrett knows how to work the Jones’ system. He won’t get everything he wants. I wonder if he thought the grandiose setting at the stadium was a little much but understood it meant something to Jones and went along with it.

A few years back Jones said Garrett had the ability to make you feel like Garrett’s idea was your idea. Garrett will know how to push back.

“I think our lines of communication have always been open,” Garrett said. “I’ve always been honest with him and he’s always been honest with me.”