‘Moving parts’: Stephen Jones hints at Cowboys’ free agency strategy
Cowboys fans have been wondering for weeks how their team’s front office would approach this offseason. With over 20 players- and more than a few key names- set to become free agents, would the club stick to their usual penny-pinching ways when it comes to contracts, or take the “all-in” approach that worked so well for the Rams in 2021 by paying seemingly any price to assemble a roster stacked enough to go the distance?
As the NFL world converges on Indianapolis for the annual scouting combine, Cowboys Nation has its first hints at an answer.
Things are going to get bumpy.
Chief operating officer Stephen Jones spoke with reporters on Monday, and the first reports from that conversation suggest that the Cowboys won’t be willing to kick an expensive can down the road.
Doesn’t sound like the Cowboys will be following the Rams’ all-in strategy. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones: “We could do some things that would allow us to keep most of our guys if we wanted to push it all out, but then we’d have a much bigger problem next year and the year after.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) February 28, 2022
In order to pay the cream of the club’s current free agent crop- Randy Gregory, Dalton Schultz, Michael Gallup, Jayron Kearse- it would take restructuring several other big-money contracts in order to get under the cap, and/or simply unloading players whose stats are no longer on par with their production.
Two names that have popped up in that latter category are wide receiver Amari Cooper and running back Ezekiel Elliott, after a disappointing season for each.
Jones was asked about both high-priced veterans but offered two very different levels of commitment.
Zeke's "money is guaranteed," Stephen told us. "He’s going to be here. There’s no question. We’re fortunate to have him."
On Amari with 2022 Cowboys: "It's too early for me to address that yet. We’re continuing to have conversations. A lot of things affect that…moving parts." https://t.co/es5HuWLRyk
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) February 28, 2022
As for splurging on a top-flight game-changing veteran or two on the open market, Jones says the club will likely not be a major spender in free agency, following its usual path in that regard.
Cowboys' Stephen Jones on offseason spending: "If I am looking into a crystal ball right now, I see most of our money in free agency going to our current players. That may change; we may come across a value on a player that is just one we got to take. I don't want to rule it out"
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) February 28, 2022
There will be plenty more to come out of the Joneses’ annual combine chat, for sure. But these initial indications of where the front office’s thinking lies may be a sobering sign of how the next few weeks and months may play out as the team attempts to restock and reload for another playoff run.
Buckle up, Cowboys fans.
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