Cowboys' Jerry Jones defends GM record, role as contract drama boils

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones claims to know what it's like not to get everything on his wish list.

"Believe it or not, in my life, I've had a lot of things that I wanted but couldn't afford it," Jones said in his annual State of the Cowboys press conference, which was delayed due to a federal court appearance involving a paternity claim and countersuit involving Alexandra Davis.

Most of the attention in a press conference that trickled into the start of practice signaled by sounding air horns in the background was focused on financial issues and cap decisions with direct implications for the Cowboys' critical personnel.

Dallas has 30 players on expiring contracts entering the 2024 season, with Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott the most prominent. Jones understands that it sets up a year with "a lot on the line."

"There's nothing bright-lined about the kinds of things noted in this offseason that aren't happening. It's got a lot more ambiguity to it," Jones said Thursday.

Jones said that "70 percent of your whole payroll" will go to Prescott, holdout wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and outside linebacker Micah Parsons eventually, and reminded the Cowboys are still paying "the credit card bill" for restructuring bygone contracts.

Prescott, who turns 31 on Monday, is in the final year of his contract and isn't eligible to be given the franchise tag.

Lamb, 25, was a camp no-show with $17.99 million due in salary for 2024, the final year of his contract.

Parsons, 25, has one year left on his four-year, $17.1 million rookie deal, and the Cowboys exercised his $21.3 million option for 2025, making him eligible for an extension.

"That's a challenge. How do you keep a supporting cast around (Dak) and make all of that work out? It's real," Jones said.

Head coach Mike McCarthy sits at the middle of the mounting challenges but said he feels none of the pressure or perspiration of the outside media and fans focused on contracts and players who aren't in attendance at camp in Oxnard, Calif.

He's also working on an expiring contract but didn't want to discuss it Thursday.

"I view this question the same my whole tenure as a head coach. That's part of the business of the National Football League," McCarthy said. "My energy, my focus, the players and the coaching staff is not even close to what we've been talking about the last 30 minutes. We're excited by the opportunity in front of us. ... The contract conversations, we talked about that back in the spring, and that's where that lies with me. That's not the way we're wired. We can't be wired that way. We're on an 11-hour workday."

Jones said he's still more than comfortable being responsible "for any and everything that goes on" under the Cowboys' roof. He said he's only comfortable operating that way because "I can't delegate that."

Jones said he's not "sitting up there throwing darts" when asked about why the GM job wasn't on the line but the coach and players are fighting for their next season, said other teams change coaches and general managers far more frequently while the Cowboys have had two.

Stephen Jones remains a loud voice in the front office and indicated the Cowboys expect to be able to sign all of their key players with roster situations in flux.

"I just think it's very unique that you have a top quarterback on your team as well as two players on either side of the ball that feel like, and rightfully so, they're the best non-quarterback players in the league. It stresses the cap," Stephen Jones said. "We think we can get it done. We think we can get Dak done. But there are tough decisions that you have to make if you want to keep your up-and-coming players. It's a good problem to have."

Jerry Jones said in Lamb's case he was "waiting for more leaves to fall," before addressing his contract. Jones said there are "hundreds of times" in his life experiences when hindsight would indicate he maybe should have handed the ball off and not pitch it, equating his role as GM to being an option quarterback. He also referenced the "Ben Franklin Method" in listing

"We're buying time. We're option quarterbacking, going out toward the sideline and we haven't pitched the ball," Jerry Jones said. "That's what we're doing. And we're waiting for something to happen in the morning."

--Field Level Media