The Dallas Cowboys have had quite the busy offseason after finishing 2024 with only seven wins. America's Team has since hired Brian Schottenheimer as the new head coach, pulled off some trades, drafted for the future, and signed veteran free agents, leaving time to tell if the Cowboys did enough to return to the NFL playoffs next season.
Although Cowboys fans are loving some of owner/general manager Jerry Jones' offseason decisions, other choices don't look as promising. In fact, one of Dallas' free-agent additions is beginning to look overpaid despite having yet to play a snap in the Lone Star State.
New Cowboys OG Robert Jones Already Looks Like an Overpay
After longtime starting right guard Zack Martin retired early in the offseason, the Cowboys needed some offensive line depth. That led to their signing veteran blocker Robert Jones to a one-year, $3.75 million contract about a week after Martin walked away from football for good.
Jones, 26, is a former undrafted OG who's played 49 games (30 starts) for the Miami Dolphins across the last four seasons. He started in all 17 of the Dolphins' games last season, leaving the Cowboys hopeful that he could handle a significant role on Schottenheimer's new-look roster.
Fast forward to organized team activities (OTAs) and the mandatory minicamp, where Jones didn't make much of an impact, unfortunately. The former Middle Tennessee State product suffered an undisclosed injury during the minicamp, forcing him out of the remaining sessions, and there hasn't even been an update on his situation since then.
Regardless of whether it was a major or minor ailment, suffering an injury at the start of a tenure with a new team is never a good look.
Jones' underwhelming offseason is the last thing he needed following a pedestrian 2024 performance. The 6-foot-4 blocker's Pro Football Focus grades regarding offense (56.1) and run blocking (56.3) were both the worst efforts of his career, whereas his 54.3 pass protection grade wasn't anything to write home about either. That's without mentioning how his seven penalties (15 since 2022) indicate a clear lack of discipline.
Nearly $4 million doesn't seem like a lot compared to other NFL contracts, but it's a number that could turn ugly if Jones fails to meet expectations. The Cowboys must surround quarterback Dak Prescott with the best protection possible if they want to return to the postseason, meaning Jones must find a way to step up or risk being kicked to the curb before playing a game in Dallas.