Stephen Jones: Cowboys to examine commitment to big-time players, Micah Parsons unlikely to be traded
Stephen Jones noted the Cowboys will examine their commitment to high-end players and that Micah Parsons is unlikely to be traded.
The Dallas Cowboys do not care what you think. They are prepared to do it again. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones spoke to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport this week and offered a potentially grim outlook on the offseason to come. This is the offseason that will follow a horrendous season that was built on the foundation of a horrible offseason. The little piggy who built his house on sand had a more stable setup going on.
Stephen Jones told Ian Rapoport that the team is going to assess and examine their commitment to high-end players and emphasized that having so much tied up (salary cap-wise) in a handful of players is something they are finding to be somewhat unwise.
It has been that kind of season for Dallas, one destined to end in disappointment no matter how the final four games of the regular season go.
Which is why the team’s brass will spend the offseason examining how they got there and what led them down this frustrating path. Of note: Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, vice president of player personnel Will McClay and other members of the team’s brass will explore the effects that signing big-money, high-profile, top-of-position players has on their rest of their roster.
“To me, it would be irresponsible if every year you don’t look at the full body of work and the big picture and how those guys fit into that big picture,” Stephen Jones told NFL.com at the conclusion of NFL’s December League Meeting in Las Colinas, Texas, on Wednesday, “and how we want to think about our team in terms of the big picture going forward.”
Let’s stop here for a second.
It is objectively true that the Cowboys have signed “big-money, high-profile, top-of-position” players as of late. Trevon Diggs, Zack Martin, Dak Prescott are all players who have signed enormous deals that have missed time this season which fits this particular point. Obviously you can add CeeDee Lamb to that mix, but he has not missed time if we are splitting hairs.
What should be emphasized here though is that the two most recent deals, Prescott and Lamb, were ones that the team completely dragged their feet on. It goes without saying that there are differing opinions on whether or not the Cowboys should have extended Prescott specifically, but even if you are someone who did not want that, surely you can recognize that if the team had been more forward-thinking about it then they would have saved money relative to salary cap space. What’s more is if they had gotten ahead of it they would at present moment be that much closer to being able to get out of it, if we want to add even more to the point.
Living in that point some more - as we have discussed many times - getting deals like that done ahead of time also allows you the flexibility to sign other players in the name of improving your roster. This is basic, fundamental knowledge that does not need to be learned within a front office specifically. It is simple common sense.
But the Cowboys did not abide by that philosophy this past season and left themselves susceptible from a depth standpoint. Unfortunately when a slew of injuries arrives nobody is ever truly prepared, but the Cowboys were a disaster even before they started to lose significant contracts. They watched the floor of the team bottom out and did nothing to replace it.
Apparently they believe that they did, though. This line specifically suggests that Dallas believes they “focused” on high-end players. Again, this is true, but not in a point-blank way.
All of which has led the internal research to ignite. In other words, would the Cowboys be better off signing a stronger middle class or upper-middle class of players rather than the high-end ones?
“I think that’s a balancing act that you always got to look at,” Jones said on Wednesday. “Especially when your good, good players get hurt and are not on the field. It totally magnifies the issue if you lose guys like Dak, and Diggs misses games, Zack Martin misses games and it’s going to magnify something like that. You’re going to say ‘God, are we smart having this much money tied in to the top five to 10 players?’ “
This idea that Dallas has to choose one path like it is an adventure game is silly. They are capable of signing multiple players from across the financial spectrum. You would think that Stephen would have realized that in mentioning the losses of Prescott, Diggs and Martin. Yes, those players are commanding massive amounts of money relative to the rest of the roster, but that is why you must take care of those in the most efficient way possible, so as to give yourself the flexibility that we continue to harp on.
The next opportunity for that lesson has already taken a step towards inefficiency as the Cowboys failed to extend Micah Parsons in his first offseason of eligibility. Talks with him will serve as the center point of the offseason and Stephen noted that this entire disposition will be a factor when they talk and think about him.
Parsons has been clear since the beginning that he doesn’t want to go anywhere else. He told NFL Network on the red carpet for this past February’s NFL Honors, “I hope I’m a Cowboy for life.” And whenever asked since, he’s offered a strong version of those intentions.
But Parsons is also entering the last year of his rookie deal in 2025, a fifth-year option worth more than $24 million. He patiently waited for Prescott and Lamb to get paid. This offseason, it’s his turn.
Asked if the thinking will be altered when it’s Parsons’ turn to negotiate a potential deal given the stress big contracts can put on an organization, Jones said, “Yeah that’ll all be things we’ll consider.”
“Obviously we’re totally all in on Dak and CeeDee,” Jones told NFL.com, “but after that, then you still shape things, including Micah. But Micah’s a great player. You don’t do well in this league letting guys like Micah, usually, leave the house.”
If Parsons was, in fact, available via trade, he would be the most high-profile defensive player to be on the block since the Raiders sent Khalil Mack to the Bears for a package that included two first-round picks and more back in 2018.
Specifically, Jones was asked, could Parsons could be traded?
“We love Micah,” Jones said. “I can’t imagine there’s a scenario where he’s not wearing a star on his helmet.”
This notes that Parsons “patiently” waited and while some may roll their eyes at that it is objectively true. Parsons could have held out and forced the Cowboys’ hand this past offseason, but he showed up and got to work and continues to provide impressive efforts even with the season all but officially lost.
As if that weren’t enough, Parsons has been one of the most dominant players in the NFL since entering it almost four years ago. He is a player who you absolutely want to pay and therefore absolutely want to pay as soon as possible, but as mentioned that specific ship has sailed.
It is starting to seem like the Cowboys are laying the groundwork with public comments for a similar offseason to last. That would be hard to imagine, but tell me that you don’t feel the same in reading all of this.
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