Last night, Cowboys Twitter was treated to an unexpected address from Dallas Cowboys owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones.
In what appears to be a press conference or interview held on Jones' personal luxury coach, he spoke on Dak Prescott's value to the Dallas Cowboys, what he expects for Ezekiel Elliott's future, and whether or not the team should franchise tag Tony Pollard.
Holding court pic.twitter.com/j6dAVvr4H1
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) March 4, 2023
It is unclear whether or not the footage of his statements will ever be produced into one cohesive final product. This morning, I found most clips by searching Twitter for “Jerry Jones” and scrolling through the “videos” tab.
Well, that videos tab has since become oversaturated by content creators and bots alike looking to capitalize on the trend of the moment. So, here's a piece by piece breakdown along with a summary of fan responses.
Them: “Jerry Jones is about to give an interview.” #CowboysNation: pic.twitter.com/KIvJVMEXlh
— Mark D. TalknBoysWitDaBoyZ (@MarkDsCorner) March 4, 2023
JERRY JONES BELIEVES DAK PRESCOTT CAN IMPROVE LATE IN CAREER LIKE TOM BRADY
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addresses Dak Prescott and his future, saying he believes he can improve in late stages of career similar to Tom Brady. pic.twitter.com/abc2M88nFy
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 4, 2023
“I think, just as Brady became, in my mind, better and better and more impactful on how they won as he got into his career, I think Dak really has those qualities.” – Jerry Jones
Based on the video above, Jerry Jones seems to believe the best is yet to come from quarterback Dak Prescott. In the replies, fans were quick to bring up the fact that that Tom Brady won three Super Bowls in his first five seasons.
In response, I'd like to point out that Tom Brady won four more championships in his 15th – 21st seasons, so I can somewhat see Mr. Jones' point. It comes down to perspective. Did Tom Brady get better? Or was it that he found a way to maintain the same level of greatness for an extended period of time?
Either way, this statement tells us that Jones is optimistic about Prescott's future.
“When I start seeing something on the field, on the field not off the field… that would logically tell you, ‘You need to start looking ahead past Dak,'” Jones said, “I don't see that kind of thing happening in the next [inaudible] years.”
This perspective naturally brings any observer to this question: If the Cowboys plan to keep Dak Prescott around for years, what are they going to do differently in order to ensure success in the future?
JERRY JONES ON PUTTING PIECES AROUND DAK PRESCOTT
Dak Prescott cap hits by year:
2016: $0.5M
2017: $0.6M
2018: $0.7M
2019: $2.1M
2020: $31.4M tag
2021: $17.2M
2022: $19.7M
2023: $49.1M 👀"It will be hard to give Dak a supporting cast like he had at the beginning of his career" – Jerry Jonespic.twitter.com/Cto9jtV03J
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 4, 2023
“We wanna get all the help around him, but as we know, when you have a competitive, paid quarterback in the NFL, then you're not gon' be able to get the most skill around him.” – Jerry Jones
This video has been shared more than the others since last night. I'm linking to the version with Dak's cap hits by year for context and education.
Cowboys fans interpreted this video in two ways: 1) Jerry Jones throwing Dak Prescott under the bus, and 2) Jerry Jones preemptively making excuses for why the team will not show improvement during the 2023 season.
After several viewings and plenty of rumination, I'm just going to file this one under, “Things Jerry Jones should have kept to himself.”
At face value, his statement simply explains the math involved in building a team while considering a salary cap. It's the implications that are the issue.
The implications are what will be discussed by media and fans for the entirety of the coming week and at any remotely applicable points in the future.
Even though Jones' early statement expressed an admiration of Prescott, statements like this give talking heads enough fodder to examine Dak's pockets for the next calendar year. That's not something Jones should wish on his starting quarterback.
"It will be hard to give Dak a supporting cast like he had at the beginning of his career" – Jerry Jones
Your moves in that span of time (2017-2020) [Not counting 2016 since Romo was still on roster]:
($9M Cap Space) 2017: Resigned T. Williams | Drafted R. Switzer and N. Brown,…
— Ricardo Morales (@SpaceCowboyMED) March 4, 2023
What Jerry Jones Should Have Said Instead
It is a fact that Dak Prescott's salary cap hit for 2023, as it stands, is relatively high compared to other similarly accomplished quarterbacks. This is even more reason to not discuss the matter in front of mics and cameras.
Involved parties decided on the numbers behind closed doors. Perhaps they were based on projections that did not end up aligning with current realities.
But keep it behind closed doors. Adjust based on the current reality and keep the team moving forward.
Later in the clip, Jones says, “You're going to have to pick your spots, and you're going to be a little slower… at what you're doing.”
If he wanted to say anything, perhaps the focus should have been on the picking of the spots. In other words, he could have shared what he hopes to see change on the offense without bringing up Dak or the salary cap.
He could have shared his hopes and dreams for the offensive line and the wide receiver room without mentioning money at all.
We all know that the salary cap plays a big role in the construction of a team. Anyone who cares enough to pay attention to this conversation already understands the team will have to make decisions about what playmakers they can afford and how to get role players at a bargain.
I know Jerry Jones wanted to set expectations with his response, but as they say, this ain't it.
LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT FREE AGENT
Jerry Jones on improving the Cowboys' roster with a significant move: “Don't dismiss us doing something special.” pic.twitter.com/xKGzTmif96
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 4, 2023
“Don't dismiss us doing something special with the right veteran free agent.” – Jerry Jones
Outside of mentioning the need to “pick spots,” Jerry Jones, as expected, did not provide much insight into what moves he plans to make during the off season.
Based on this clip, Jones seems to believe that with the right players, the team can be successful even if a couple of stars get injured. So, despite his concerns over the salary cap, perhaps he is examining how a veteran presence can reinforce the team so that they can achieve success in spite of inevitable speed bumps.
JERRY JONES ON TONY POLLARD AND EZEKIEL ELLIOTT
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated he wants Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott both back in 2023, “ doing the best things they do.” pic.twitter.com/aHVZthXnKb
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 4, 2023
“I know I've got a reputation for being reluctant to look at great players as they go into the later years of their career, but I don't need empathy… to turn on the tape and look at what a difference maker he was last year.” – Jerry Jones on Ezekiel Elliott
Jerry Jones ends this clip by mentioning the feeling he had about the running back duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard before Pollard's injury in the divisional round playoff game against the 49ers. He said that based on that feeling, he wouldn't change a thing.
What he didn't delve into, however, is how that feeling has changed. For many fans, watching the team struggle once Pollard left the game was enough to convince them that it was time to move on from Ezekiel Elliott.
Jerry Jones expressed an appreciation for Elliott and denied that sentimentality is playing a role in his decision making. Somehow, though, he got away with talking for two minutes without clarifying his current stance on Ezekiel Elliott.
THE AFTERMATH
There is a lot to debate and analyze in these videos. If the goal was to make headlines, Jerry Jones knocked it out of the park as he tends to do. When it comes to inspiring confidence among the Dallas Cowboys fanbase, however, he definitely missed the mark.
Based on a very short term, non-scientific, qualitative analysis of responses (yes, that means scrolling through my feed), a lot of fans feel that the Cowboys will show little improvement and almost no change in 2023.
These feelings are probably due in large part to a pattern that Cowboys fans have seen over the past few seasons. The mainstream narrative surrounding Dak Prescott certainly does not help the situation.
Ultimately, Jerry Jones will be judged based on his decisions. There is nothing he can say that will change minds. Whether they are optimistic, pessimistic, or just neutral observers, fans want to see results at this point.
In the recent past, the words coming from the front office have not aligned well with the product seen on the field.
So, these videos will keep the talking heads occupied for some time. But the rest of us are still watching, waiting, and keeping receipts.
