What Stephen Jones said about Cowboys slow start, Dak Prescott contract, fan frustration

Executive vice president Stephen Jones understands the plight of Dallas Cowboys fans who remain disappointed about the season-ending playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers and are now frustrated with their slow start to free agency.

He gets it, as does everyone in the organization.

He also knows there is likely nothing they can do satisfy anyone until the Cowboys have success in the playoffs.

The Cowboys, who have not reached the Super Bowl since the 1995 season, are coming off three straight 12-5 finishes with three straight early exits in the postseason.

“We are aware,” Jones said at press conference to announce Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo (May 17) and the PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Championship (May 18-19) at AT&T Stadium. “How can you not be aware I know it’s frustrating but it’s frustrating for us as well. No one wants it more than we want and I know our fans want. Certainly, it’s very understanding that there’s frustration until we go do something about it.

“We can win 12 games again next year, but everybody’s gonna be looking at ‘what are you gonna do in the playoffs?’ So we understand that’s where the bar is. That’s where the bar should be.”

Exacerbating things for Cowboys fans was owner Jerry Jones’ promise that the team was going to be “all in” on improving the roster to make a run in 2024.

Yet, the Cowboys made no moves early in free agency and have signed just one free agent, linebacker Eric Kendricks.

“Everybody certainly has that right to be frustrated,” Jones said. “I know where the frustration is. It’s the fact that we haven’t had success in the playoffs to their satisfactory. Until we do that, then the criticism is certainly something that’s gonna be there. We know that’s going to be there, but we’re gonna stick with what we believe will ultimately get us a championship here for our fans.

“We don’t define all in is what you spend in free agency. It is keeping the core, keeping some of the great players in this league like [quarterback Dak Prescott, like [receiver] CeeDee Lamb like [edger rusher] Micah Parsons, like [cornerback] Trevon Diggs. That’s what we define as all in is trying to trying to keep those guys.”

To that end, Jones said he is not frustrated with all with how the Cowboys approached the first few days of free agency.

It’s keeping with their past mode of operations of allowing the big money contracts to go off the board and be more efficient in their selections.

He said the Cowboys are having to make tough decisions on who they pay because of coming deals for Prescott, Lamb and Parsons.

“We’ve got Micah, CeeDee and the Dak challenge ahead of us in terms of getting them under the cap,” Jones said. “We’re all in on getting that done. I used that term all in. But I’ve always felt in this first couple of days of free agency, ‘you pay good players like the great and average players like they’re good and so on’ because the markets inflated in our minds. I’ve always said player acquisitions is 365 days a year not just the first, second or third day for free agency.”

Now that the big money is off the table, Jones said the Cowboys are prepared to act on opportunities and be efficient in continuing to add to the roster.

Jones reiterated that team wants to do an extension with Prescott, who has $59.4 cap hit for 2024.

He said both sides are talking, but he refused to give a timeline on negotiations.

“Dak’s been willing to work with us,” Jones said. “We’ve had great discussions about him and his contract. He’s all in on working with us and we’ve had personal discussions with Dak as well. It’s certainly a priority of ours.”

Jones added that the Prescott’s off-the-field issues, which include filing a lawsuit against a woman for extortion and being investigated for sexual assault, have had no impact on contract talks.