The Dallas Cowboys officially gave up on defensive end Taco Charlton on Wednesday, waiving the 2017 first-round pick and labeling him a franchise bust forever
Charlton, who notched four sacks in just 27 games with the Cowboys, was picked up by the Miami Dolphins and could face his former team Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys have gone out of their way to try to say positive things about Charlton since his departure.
Owner Jerry Jones attempted to do the same on his radio show on 105.3 The Fan Friday when asked to explain why it didn't work for him in Dallas.
He went from talking about raw meat to Charlton wilting in practice and not responding to acknowledging that it simply didn't work.
"You can't have your No. 1 draft pick that three years later for talent reasons or for compatibility reasons just not make it," Jones said. "I think we've always got to realize is that we depend on motivation, the game does. The game is exciting because it requires something more than just talent. You've got to be unique to even play in the NFL. When you're on the defensive line it asks more from you than other positions in terms of being motivated, in terms of fighting through just the nature of the activity in the defensive line suggests fighting through. You're fighting through pain, you're fighting through really serious obstacles with all those big offensive linemen.
"You've got to be absolutely be eating raw meat to be a defensive lineman, in my mind. For whatever the reason that area of Taco, and it had as much to do with his own disappointment, his own feeling that he can do better. I've seen him do a rep in practice, and when he didn't get there, he just wilted. It just looked like it impacted everything that he was going to do for the rest of the practice. You can say, 'Well, I can correct that if you're a coach.' But on the other hand, you got to get it done."
