Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sat with his Senior Bowl scouts heading into the NFL Draft knowing he needed to make an upset this offseason.
Those were the words Jones spoke to reporters after another disappointing regular season that saw the Cowboys earn the No. 2 seed in the NFC heading into the playoffs. The Green Bay Packers advanced to Jerry’s World with a dominating win en route to the divisional round, ending an offseason full of question marks.
One of them was whether Jones would retain head coach Mike McCarthy, and it was a quick decision to have him coach through at least the final year of his five-year contract.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott attempts a pass against the Green Bay Packers during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
But quarterback Dak Prescott, who carries a $59.455 million cap hit for the 2024 season, is also playing in the final year of his contract. Dallas is about $19.7 million over his cap, so they could consider extending Prescott’s contract to alleviate some of that liability, including his MVP-caliber regular-season play in 2023. makes sense.
But Jones isn’t ready to commit to Prescott remaining the Cowboys’ quarterback of the future — at least beyond 2024.
According to team reporter Nick Harris, Jones said of how aggressive the team will be in improving the roster this year, saying, “We anticipate having everyone available, looking ahead at the important contracts that we want to address.” ” he said. Off season.
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“…It’s going to be all about different guys. We’re going to be all about it. We’ve seen some things from some of our players that we want to be all about.” Yes, I’d say “instead of building it for the future, see us next year. That’s the best way I’ve ever said it. And that should answer a lot of questions.” ”
Simply put, Jones isn’t betting on the 2024 season to better prepare himself for the Cowboys’ future. And why did they go 12-5 last season and win the NFC East?
But Prescott isn’t the only key Cowboys player with a potential extension. CeeDee Lamb, the NFL’s receptions leader last season, will play a fifth-year extension in 2024, after which he will become an unrestricted free agent. Jones, one of the league’s best wide receivers and the Cowboys’ first-round pick in 2020, definitely has him on a long list of priorities when building a roster.
Dallas Cowboys No. 4 Dak Prescott celebrates a touchdown during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field on January 7, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
And then there’s Mika Parsons, who is all about disruption. He’s a player who can single-handedly beat teams defensively and he knows that. That’s why he could ask for an extension, playing in his fourth year with a fifth-year option that Dallas will likely pick up in the 2025 season.
Jones knows all of this, but he’s focused on winning another Super Bowl title, just as fans are eager for a higher run in the playoffs.
“What I’m saying is, I hope it’s no different than getting the No. 2 seed and going into the first game of the playoffs.” ” he said. Via Dallas Morning News. “So let’s talk about how we can change things when we play and win that game. Specifically, we need to stop the run better, we need to be more physical. We need to and we need to run better.’ We need to do things like that. ”
NFL Great, has long understood why the Cowboys would stick with Mike McCarthy over Bill Belichick, but “this is it.”
For that to happen, McCarthy will need to coach better, Jones’ roster will need to perform better, and Jones will need to find players in the NFL Draft or free agency to shore up the weaknesses on his roster.
Jones’ “all-in” approach may reassure Cowboys fans now that the 2024 season is just months away. But perhaps this aggressive offense heading into next year will be the last chance McCarthy and Prescott get before they need to make bigger changes in Big D.
Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys watches a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on September 10, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Mitchell Lev/Getty Images)
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Unless Jones commits to keeping Prescott long-term, everything is open to speculation.
