“I think our structure and our involvement at every level in the recruiting process is ideal for making the right decisions,'' Jones said, adding that his remarks at the Senior Bowl made headlines, leading to a salary increase. He also said he now has a clearer understanding of caps. “I know what it's like to make a mistake, because I'm still going to live with it 10 years from now. I just want to make a mistake for a five-year term as a GM. I know what it’s like to have to live with that because I’m not just here.’ How do you do it? ”
Jones says there's only so much to think about, whether it's a piece of the pie or a comparison between universities.
“With that in mind, I compare this to college and scholarships,” he added. “And if there was a system in college where you could get better players — let’s say you were limited to 30 players — but you could get that player by giving him five scholarships. If you had the ability, you would know that when you gave him a 5, it would limit you. [elsewhere]. I just gave away 5 people to get 1 person.
“It's this system that has made the NFL the game it is today. It creates equal opportunities and it's working. … Under the premise, it's not a lack of money. It's not like that at all. No. That's part of the rule. ”
As it stands, the Cowboys have just over $6 million in available cap space, some of which will go to the rookie class selected this weekend in Detroit. Sure, there are triggers, such as restructuring, to free up tens of millions of dollars toward this year's salary cap, but Dallas appears to be no longer facing the same challenges.
A mutual agreement to rework All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott's contract provided much-needed cap relief, but the savings remain in the Cowboys' bank account for now.
And Jones hints, for example, that it's by design.
“Sometimes I look at my account and see that I have a lot of money for the day, but I have a bill that is three times what I owe. [amount] “It’s a lot of money in the account, but it’s like having a lot of money that day,” he said. I know all the bills are here. ”
That sentiment was echoed by Executive Vice President and Director of Player Personnel Stephen Jones, who also addressed recent postseason failures.
“The elephant in the room is the success in the playoffs,” Jones said. “We went and got [Brandin] Cook.we went and got [Stephon] Gilmore. We signed some veteran players, we had some wins in the offseason, but guess what? We didn't get it done in the playoffs.
“…Until we have success in the playoffs, that's the biggest question everyone has: 'How are we going to get over that hurdle?'”
This spring saw an exodus of talent to other clubs, with young players from recent draft classes and players emerging from this year's NFL Draft even though there was only one player of note to fill a need: Eric Kendricks. It is our duty to combine these players to lead Dallas to the top. It was their first visit since the mid-1990s.
“I feel like this group of guys can do it,” Stephen Jones said.
