The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable sports franchise in the world. Led by Jerry Jones, they haven't won a championship since the 1990s, but they still grab headlines, despite being the sporting equivalent of a Greek tragedy, euphoric jubilation before devastating despair. It has continued to maintain its presence. In the end, those countless years could and should have included Dallas' recent disappointments.
The Cowboys' miserable loss to the Green Bay Packers added to the apathy not seen in a while. Sure, fanbases are notoriously fickle, but I can't remember a time when most fans threw up their hands in disgust, as if enough was enough. Many Cowboys fans will have a hard time convincing themselves that the core of the team they've watched over the past few years can win at the sport's highest level. Even if fans aren't ready to buy into it, Jerry Jones has one thing he knows his fanbase can't resist. That's hope.
Jerry Jones spoke to the media at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and he knows what he says will appeal to fans:
“Looking at the key contracts that we want to deal with, we expect to go all in. We expect to go all in at the end of this year. So if you say, do you have any ideas? … We will eliminate it once and for all.”
“It's going to be all about different people. We're going to go all out. We've seen some things in some of our players that we want to go all out for. Yes, instead of building for the future, we'll see you next year. This is the best way I've ever said it. And it should answer a lot of questions.”
Those two words. all. in.
It's enough to cheer up anyone who is desperately trying to find something different or grasping at straws. But those words will only ring hollow to others and will not usher in change. Saying these words just invites more questions. For example, why now? As many people think, you'll believe it when you see it. Why did it take so long for them to realize their approach wasn't working? After years of sitting around doing nothing while their rivals enjoyed postseason success? Is now the time?
Did years of external pressure get to Jerry Jones? I was thrilled to see former player Dan Campbell lead the Detroit Lions to the NFC title game. Dallas and the Washington Commanders are the only two NFC teams not to have played in a conference title game since 1996. Perhaps the embarrassment has finally reached its climax and it was their management style rather than waiting for the planets to align or the clock to break. In an effort to get things right again for the first time in more than a quarter of a century, the Cowboys decided to take matters into their own hands. Assume this isn't just a story, but a calculated strategy to lure fans into jumping on the Super Bowl hype train again. What does “all in” look like for the Cowboys, and what are the consequences if the attempt fails?
external assistance
An obvious example of the Cowboys pushing their chips into the middle of the standings is by aggressively recruiting outside talent. The Cowboys have spent little in free agency for most of the past decade. The last time the Cowboys pursued a free agent near the top of the market was Brandon Carr in 2012. Since then, the Cowboys have been content to develop through the draft and bargain hunt through the free agency process. If the Cowboys go against this trend and Jones chooses to put his money where his mouth is, how many free agents could the Cowboys move to prove they're serious? I'll list a few.
Justin Madubuike, defensive tackle
Madubuike has steadily improved each season he has been in the NFL. The Texas A&M product continues to blossom, posting a career-high 13 sacks as an interior defensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens. He recorded 33 quarterback pressures, the second-most among defensive tackles. Combining his talent with Dan Quinn's defense will give Micah Parsons more opportunities to see one-on-one matchups from the edge. Madubuike's quickness and sudden first step will cost the Cowboys top dollar. Madubuike's estimated salary is expected to be over 19 million annually.
Josh Allen, edge rusher
The name of the game is pressure. The Cowboys regressed in that area last year, and the defensive line wasn't as formidable as it was in 2022. DeMarcus Lawrence is still a decent rusher, but he's certainly a player who can play for a long time. Dallas has been patient with Sam Williams, and now is the time to go for it this season. At the moment, patience with possibilities is deferred. Former Defensive Rookie of the Year Josh Allen had his best season with 17.5 sacks (tied for second in the NFL) on 50 quarterback pressures. Similar to Madubuike, arrows and cost points are on the rise. His contract is estimated to be worth 119 million over five years.
Saquon Barkley
The Cowboys need some brilliance in the backfield. Tony Pollard likely won't return to Dallas after a mediocre season on the franchise tag. The options currently on the roster don't inspire much excitement. If Barkley joins the Cowboys, Dallas will have explosive playmaking out of the backfield with Pollard. Barkley has the speed to change a game in seconds in the open field. Signing Barkley from the Giants would strip the Giants of their best playmaker and leave them with an offensive core consisting of Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson and Brandin Cooks. Barkley's addition will be a hot topic. His asking price should be on par with the $10 million given to Pollard last season, if not lower.
draft day trade
Free agency is one of many moves the Cowboys could make. It would be surprising if they were willing to trade in the draft to acquire an impactful day-one starter. Let's say the Cowboys want another weapon in the passing game and make a play to get another wide receiver. Michael Gallup could be a cap casualty, and the Cowboys may need to get top compliment for Lamb. If Washington receiver Roma Odunze falls out of the top 10 of the draft, Jones might pick up the phone to get a deal done.
Ditto if they set their sights on Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner. The team is also expected to make trades similar to the one that acquired Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore this offseason, but it is also expected that teams will make trades similar to the ones that acquired Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore this offseason, but they will also make trades throughout the regular season like the San Francisco 49ers traded Chase Young. will also be carried out. Stephen Jones said the team is always looking to acquire talented players, and continuing to trade mid-round picks and add proven players throughout the season will support that.
Who will take responsibility if things go wrong?
What does it mean if an owner does his best in good faith to field the best players salary cap money can buy, but still falls short of the ultimate prize? Mike McCarthy has failed to get his team ready in the past two postseason meetings against the 49ers, who have proven they are the class of the NFC. There are still no talks to extend McCarthy's contract beyond 2024, and it appears the team will need to hear more from their head coach before they are convinced he is worthy of reinvestment.
Put yourself in Jerry Jones' shoes for a moment. When Jimmie Johnson was a head coach, he fielded the best team he could put together and put that team in the hands of a coach who had already won a Super Bowl, only to have that coach lose in the divisional round or worse. They were eliminated in the first round of the postseason. . There's no rational way to justify keeping McCarthy after yet another failure and with an even more talented squad, much less giving him a new contract. This season will be the final straw for the Cowboys front office betting on McCarthy to roll Snake Eye again in the postseason.
That also applies to Dan Quinn. Let's assume Quinn returns amid interest from other teams to become head coach. If that's the case, Quinn will have to perform defensively against lesser competition like he did against Green Bay and a 49ers team he would play for the fifth time in four years if they meet again in the postseason next year. I can't make it worse. Rest assured that even if McCarthy is gone, Quinn and probably most of the coaching staff will be there.
Quarterbacks are not exempt from this either. Fan anger over his performance over the past few years has focused primarily on Dak Prescott. Some of the rhetoric surrounding Prescott is irrational and lacks objectivity, but games like the Green Bay game did nothing to earn him favor with fans. In one week, Prescott went from being snubbed NFL MVP to being an outcast among many fans.
Prescott has a $59.4 million cap hit entering the new league year, and the Cowboys are projected to be $19 million over the salary cap. There's no doubt that Prescott will be the Cowboys' quarterback this season, but if the team wants to make a move all season long, they'll need to reduce Prescott's cap hit through an extension or restructuring. If the Cowboys truly intend to go “all in,” they may simply choose to restructure his contract. If the Cowboys give Prescott all the help they can and end up with the same result, if Prescott plays badly in the playoffs again, it could be the beginning of the end for his time in Dallas.
Teams that go “all in” will face salary cap hell down the road. Signing expensive free agents usually means tough salary cap decisions down the road. As an organization and as a fan base, we think as long as we win the Super Bowl, we're okay with that predicament. That's the real challenge of going “all in.” It's not about deciding to do something and then doing it, it's about winning a big game. If the Cowboys try their best and fail, the future looks especially bleak.
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