‘No free lunch’: Jerry Jones brings up Dak Prescott’s contract in explaining Cowboys' roster holes

FRISCO, Texas — On one hand, Jerry Jones effuses that his Dallas Cowboys “have more value on the field” than in recent years.

On the other, the owner/general manager understands that his proven offensive talent rings up a deficit.

“The more you pay the quarterback, the teams that pay the big ticket on the quarterback, they have to sacrifice other places,” Jones said Friday during an interview with Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan. “The facts are there’s no free lunch. Every dollar you spend on a player is a dollar you can’t spend someplace else.”

The Cowboys did, indeed, extend Dak Prescott for four years and $160 million with $126 million in 2021. The team can no longer ride Prescott’s $450,000 rookie contract, on which the fourth-round draft pick led Dallas to a 13-3 record and NFC regular-season crown.

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And yet, Prescott’s average annual salary is exceeded by the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, Broncos’ Russell Wilson, Cardinals’ Kyler Murray, Browns’ Deshaun Watson, Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Bills’ Josh Allen, Raiders’ Derek Carr and matches that of the Rams’ Matthew Stafford.

The Broncos still signed free-agent defensive end Randy Gregory, when the Cowboys decided he was too expensive. The Browns still traded their fifth round pick for receiver Amari Cooper and his contract, another Dallas offseason loss. The Bills signed veteran pass rusher Von Miller, whom Dallas fans coveted. And the Rams last year traded for both Miller and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. en route to a Super Bowl title.

Jones insisted he has proved his willingness to take risks.

“No one would deny that I’m a risk-taker,” he said. “No one. I take risk and I do it every day in my life. And so, there is a proper time to take some risk. We have taken them and we will take them.

“I hope that some of the risk I take in the future … will result in a change from where we’ve been: and that’s not getting to the Super Bowl. But I do that every day in my life.”

The Cowboys have the fourth-most available cap space in the league, at $14.1 million, per overthecap.com (the Browns, Broncos and Raiders have more). They eventually hope to eventually extend talents in receiver CeeDee Lamb, cornerback Trevon Diggs and versatile linebacker Micah Parsons.

They nonetheless did not make a splash in free agency this offseason or trade for anyone after starters in receiver James Washington (foot fracture) and eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith (knee fracture, hamstring tear) sustained injuries that will sideline them for extended periods. Smith is not expected to be back until at least December.

Instead, rookie first-round left tackle Tyler Smith will protect Prescott’s blindside.

“He’s got everything we hoped and more when we drafted him,” Jones said of the rookie. “It’s exactly what we drafted him for, to come in and be the left tackle. And, so, he had a really outstanding camp. All of the things are there. Do I wish we had Tyron (Smith)? Yes. Will we get Tyron back? Likely.

“But in the meantime, (Tyler Smith) is going to come in and he’s going to get a Harvard doctorate degree in playing left tackle between now and then. Will we pay some price for it? Yes. Can we win with him paying a price for it? I think so, yes.”

Prescott expressed similar optimism on Thursday when asked about the opportunity that awaits him with fewer experienced weapons and more questionable protection.

“When you have a guy like CeeDee Lamb, (Michael Gallup), guys that have a certain culture and a certain demeanor and approach about themselves, the way they attack each day, it’s easy for those young guys to follow in and do the same things and as those guys gotten reps,” Prescott said. “That chemistry, amongst our guys, amongst themselves honestly, amongst that group alone, is as great as it’s ever been.”

Walking off with a few reporters after his on-camera interview, Prescott conceded that “(expletive), yeah, 100%” the questions were sensible. But also: Remember what he did as a fourth-round rookie thrust into action in Week 1 due to injuries?

“Y’all hadn’t seen me as a rookie either,” Prescott said. “The same little fog or whatever was going around when I was a rookie and I know what I went and did. That’s why I say no, I love it. Keep writing, keep talking.

“We’re for it but we know what we have it, we know who we are and what we’re going to do.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Jori Epstein on Twitter @JoriEpstein

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cowboys' Jerry Jones explains roster holes, cites Dak Prescott deal