Last month, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he would be “all in” this offseason, which seemed kind of a strange statement to make given the team’s salary cap situation.
Not surprisingly, the Cowboys have only been able to sign one free agent, inking linebacker Eric Kendricks to a one-year deal.
Now, Jones is kind of walking back his original remark of being “all in.”
“I have been more all in before,” Jones said, via Clarence E. Hill of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “By any definition, and I have more all in to make a run back to the line of scrimmage then I’ve been to run for 50 yards. It took more all in to just get back to the line of scrimmage than it did to run for 50 yards. Sometimes that is a bigger challenge. That is really the gist of what we’re about this year. We’ve got to get it done.”
Jones went on to say that more isn’t always better.
“I think that we have been in a situation where we can get it done with lesser,” he said. “More doesn’t necessarily beat Green Bay. There are other things. Maybe having it better strategically in different spots, but more than necessarily beat them, either. So we’re going to be asked to do some things different because we’ve got some different players.”
So, basically, Jones is stating that just going out and spending money on free agents is not necessarily going to solve the team’s problems, and in a way, he’s right.
Dallas still has to extend quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and edge rusher Micah Parsons, and it needs to ensure it has enough money available to do that.
The Cowboys are tight against the cap as it is. Going out and splurging in free agency would only it more difficult for Jones to retain his key homegrown talent in the long run.
Jones added that what Dallas does this offseason “can hit the next five years because it can impact us that far.” He’s right.
While it may be frustrating for Cowboys fans to watch their team essentially stand pat in free agency, Jerry Jones has a bigger-picture plan in mind, which is entire understandable.
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