Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
Getty
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
For fans and observers of the Dallas Cowboys, it would be understandable if the things owner Jerry Jones says in the weeks leading up to NFL free agency are taken with a grain–or a whole shaker full–of salt. It was only two years ago, after all, that Jones vowed to go “all in” on the upcoming season, and it was not until much later that fans realized he meant all in … with the pieces and coaches already in place.
But Jones may be turning over a new leaf. The Cowboys were aggressive in re-signing running back Javonte Williams, marking a big change in the strategy of simply churning through bargain-basement options at the RB position. He reached out to George Pickens personally, he said, before the team put the franchise tag on him, hoping to keep up good relations as discussions on a long-term deal.
And the hiring of 34-year-old new defensive coordinator Christian Parker is a departure from the old-boy network he typically uses to pick coordinators–Parker is a far cry from Mike Zimmer or Matt Eberflus, his two failed predecessors.
Cowboys Will ‘Spend More Money’ in Free Agency
Now, Jones is signaling the biggest change of his recent tenure as the Cowboys’ decision-maker: He is vowing to spend money in free agency.
“I would bet that we will spend more money in free agency than we have,” Jones told reporters in his meeting with beat writers on his luxury bus on Friday.
Free-agent spending is something the Cowboys just have not done. It is not the most efficient way to build a team, no doubt, but with as many holes as the Cowboys have on hand, getting quality veterans in to fill the gaps that can’t be handled by development from within or in the draft is going to be necessary.
Javonte Williams
GettyJavonte Williams already re-signed with the Dallas Cowboys
Trades on Table for Cowboys
Jones acknowledged that there is an aspect of robbing Peter to pay Paul in that style of team-building, and the Cowboys will need to be aggressive in restructuring contracts to create cap space to spend. But in the NFL, kicking the can into the future with restructures and void years is a necessary evil, and perennially competitive teams like the Eagles have turned it into an art form.
But Jones also said there is the possibility of pulling off trades. With two first-round picks in this year’s draft, he has the assets to do it.
Said Jones: “I don’t know that I expect it but we have the ammunition to be good in it. And I wouldn’t hesitate to be good in it if it would help our team and help the timeline we are talking about, especially on defense. So that’s a potential there because of our draft picks that we have.”
Jerry Jones Let Fans Down
But the main takeaway from Jones’ talk is that he appears to be tired of the Cowboys failing to contend for a Super Bowl. He conceded that he let the fan base down in the last three decades, and that he is doing what he can to change things.
Jones said: “I know that my way of addressing it is the best way to correct it. The thing that I would want our fans to know is how much input that I have into what goes on when they see a ball snapped or a play, and how much third-party input. I have a reputation not of, ‘We’ll get that guy, we’ll do that, we’ll do that.’ It’s the opposite of that. Ask anybody that’s ever been around. Anybody. …
“I scrape the floor trying tog et some information to make the best decision that we can. Hats off, it’s highly competitive, other clubs have done better.”