Stephen Jones Sends Message to Cowboys Fans Upset With Offseason Spending
By Cem Yolbulan
The Dallas Cowboys had one of the most frustrating offseasons of any team in the NFL this year. Fans are understandably infuriated with Jerry Jones, who stood pat after promising to go all-in. Not only did the team not add any free agents of note, but they also lost several key starters including offensive tackle Tyron Smith, center Tyler Biadasz, and running back Tony Pollard. One of their most important free agents Stephon Gilmore is still unsigned and available on the market.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones was asked about this on 105.3 The Fan. First, he argued about the semantics of the phrase "all in". Stating that the Cowboys are always "all in", he defended the front office's decisions in free agency.
Stephen Jones Thinks the Cowboys Are Already "All In"
Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @1053thefan on Jerry Jones saying Dallas would be "all in" this season: "Everybody has their own definition of what that means, but I've never not known us to be all in, nor have I known anyone we compete against not to be all in."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 16, 2024
What does he say…
Jones went on to say that they needed to save money so that they could sign their "own guys". He is obviously referring to Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons, and CeeDee Lamb. But, extensions for these players haven't arrived yet, either.
"We spend max, max money year in and year out. All 32 can only spend the same amount of money over a five-year stretch. When we're all said and done, we max out our salary cap every year. We will have done that. What comes with having a good roster, which we do, we're also looking towards signing our own guys."
- Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones
These statements would make some sense if Dallas was indeed retaining its guys. Instead, there is contract drama surrounding all three of the names involved. There is a chance Lamb will hold out in training camp, Prescott is entering the final year of his contract, and Parsons is considered to be a flight risk.
The Cowboys are taking on a massive risk by not doing anything this offseason, both in terms of bringing in new talent and keeping talent in Dallas. They are also putting head coach Mike McCarthy, who is also entering the final year of his contract, making him a lame duck, in an impossible position to succeed in.
Despite all of this, the Cowboys are still tied for the best odds on FanDuel Sportsbook to win the NFC East next season. (+120) This is a sheer testament to how much talent there is on this roster but Jerry and Stephen Jones are certainly doing whatever they can to make things more difficult.
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