The Dallas Cowboys have had an underwhelming movement in free agency so far. Despite signing a few players, the team failed to bag a big name. Besides this, they released one of their effective running backs Tony Pollard, and also traded Tyron Smith to the Jets.
All these movements came after the owner Jerry Jones claimed the Cowboys would go ‘all in‘ for the 2024 season after last season’s playoff disappointment.
The veteran finally addressed the team’s underwhelming activity in the free agency. He took credit for retaining the best of the players they had last season but did not show any regret for not going for big names. According to Jones, paying players who are currently performing well for the team is more important than signing anyone new.
When you wanna keep your players you've developed and worked so hard to get, that are playing at Pro Bowl levels, then you're not gonna be able to go out and chase those [big-money, external] free agents. I've always been like that in the first couple of days in free agency, you pay good players like they're great and you pay average players like they're good, because the market is inflated. I also look at it as player acquisition being 365 days a year, It's not just the first or second day in free agency. Jerry Jones said.
The fans and the analysts have brutally criticized Jones. It all started with veteran analyst Skip Bayless who did not hold his emotions back from criticizing the veteran. This offseason, he said that because of Jerry Jones; the Cowboys are failing to achieve what they need to.
Amid all the criticism, Jones managed to give a restructured contract to Dak Prescott. The quarterback is set to receive a whopping $55.4 million and this will help the Cowboys save $4 million in the coming season.
Jerry Jones did not reveal any plan to go for some big names in the next few weeks
Jerry Jones was asked whether the Cowboys would go for some big names in the remaining weeks. He had a diplomatic answer to it. The veteran owner did not reveal any plan to go for any mighty signing. ‘
I don't look at it as the next few weeks. I look at it as all the way up and through the season, in terms of how we continue to address this. As we all see, that first negotiating day is wild and it's big, big, big dollars. But things are calming down now. And that's where we think we can be efficient and do good things.
The veteran also tried to remind the media how they managed to get players at the eleventh hour. Last season, the Cowboys traded Trey Lance just a couple of weeks before the commencement of the regular season. It is to be seen whether something happens this year as well.
After multiple playoff losses, the biggest challenge for the Cowboys will be to march beyond the Divisional playoff round. This year, the Cowboys will try to live up to the reputation that they have made over the years.
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