For someone who has made a career making impressive business deals, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues to stumble when it comes to locking up his players. There seems to be a part of the franchise owner that welcomes the chaos and the uncertainty it brings. Perhaps understanding the team is no longer winning games of note, Jones has fallen into the trap of believing any press is good press. The last Cowboys' debacle easily disproves this sentiment, with Micah Parsons becoming the talk of the league. Not based on his on-field accomplishments or the exciting season ahead, but due to the star's trade demands.
It is a mess brought to Dallas fans thanks to the one and only Jerry Jones. The owner often lauds the fact that he pays his players even in this negotiation, pointing to deals for CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott as evidence. However, what this somehow ignores is the fact that both deals followed the exact same script. The entire fan base knew both players were overdue for a contract, and Jones dug his heels in waiting until the last possible moment to pay his players. Hardly an advisable strategy in a market that is constantly being reset.
Jerry Jones Continues to Cost the Cowboys Valuable Cap Space
It costs the Cowboys millions of dollars in both deals that could've easily been used on much-needed depth. The deals Jerry points to in an attempt to make his point on the Parsons debacle point out a continual problem for the franchise. Waiting to pay your star players until the last possible moment screams franchise malpractice in a league where every dollar matters. To further this point, look back and consider how much cheaper a deal for Parsons would've been an offseason ago. This was before Myles Garret and then T.J. Watt reset the market and gave the Dallas star incredible leverage.
The price has been set, and there are a myriad of teams willing to meet it if the Cowboys won't pay. Instead of doing the obvious, Jones has preferred to take shots at Micah's agent and discuss the number of games the pass rusher has missed. Yet another perfect example of the aging billionaire's ego getting in the way of obvious football decisions.
Jones would later double down on these mistakes, pointing out that fans were louder last season when demanding the franchise pay CeeDee. Nothing players with strong egos love more than being compared negatively to another star on their team who has already been paid. For Lamb's part, the receiver wasted zero time defending his teammate and issuing a message that the franchise must pay Parsons.
Regardless, the point remains that this is a mess of Jones' own creation and a reminder of an aging owner who cares more about the spotlight than winning games. While his words might indicate otherwise, Jerry's actions continue to be those of a selfish owner who puts himself before the team. If that wasn't the case, Parsons would be under a contract already aging well, and Dallas wouldn't find itself in the headlines for its failures and an owner who continues to alienate its best player.