Ralph Vacchiano
NFL Reporter
What Jerry Jones saw late in overtime this past Sunday was what he described as “vintage Dak Prescott.” First came a pinpoint pass to George Pickens for 27 yards, just beyond the reach of the opponent’s best corner. Then came Prescott avoiding the pass rush and taking off for a 14-yard run.
To Jones, the club’s hands-on owner, those were more than two clutch plays that set up the game-winning field goal in the Cowboys’ 40-37 overtime win over the Giants. They were justification for the faith Jones has had in his quarterback all along. He’s never shied away from his belief that Prescott is capable of leading his Cowboys to the Super Bowl.
And he’s right. Prescott really is that good.
He’s just never had strong enough of a supporting cast to win it all.
Maybe he will soon.
It’s too early to tell after just two games, of course. But as the Cowboys prepare for a Week 3 matchup against the Chicago Bears (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX), Jones sure does seem to believe he’s got the right group around Prescott for the first time in the quarterback’s now 10-year career. And he believes it even after trading away linebacker Micah Parsons, one of the best defensive players in the game, and embracing what his critics believe is a quantity over quality approach.
“We’ve got some real talent on our roster,” Jones said during a recent appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “You can’t keep all of those players under our [salary cap] system. It’s important to make some selections.
“One of many issues that I pleasure myself in, despite the fact that I’m criticized for dragging a negotiation out, is that you’ll want to see the wreck when it’s coming or see the occasion when it’s coming. After we signed Dak Prescott, we knew that we had been going to need to be very even handed as we go ahead to place the sort of roster round Prescott that provides us an opportunity to win the Tremendous Bowl.”
It is definitely a controversial method, within the wake of the 82-year-old’s resolution to commerce Parsons to Inexperienced Bay reasonably than pay him the $46.5 million per yr the Packers gave him (4 years, $186 million with $136 million assured). However for Jones, it’s all a part of his dedication to Prescott. He signed Prescott to a four-year, $240 million deal final September, making him the highest-paid participant within the NFL — a distinction Dak nonetheless holds. And he adopted that up by giving his finest weapon, CeeDee Lamb, a four-year, $136 million deal, making him the highest-paid receiver within the league.
Dak Prescott could not have been extra clutch whereas main the Cowboys to a comeback victory over the Giants in Week 2. (Picture by Cooper Neill/Getty Photos)
Jones thought of paying Parsons, too, and making them his new long-term Huge 3. However his principle gave the impression to be that tying up all that wage cap house in three gamers was going to restrict what he might spend on the remainder of his crew. And Jones definitely hasn’t been shy about spending this offseason. This summer time alone, he’s prolonged tight finish Jake Ferguson, fullback Hunter Luepke, All-Professional cornerback DaRon Bland and Professional Bowl guard Tyler Smith.
That every one got here after he traded for Pickens again in Could, including the second receiver the Cowboys have wanted since buying and selling away Amari Cooper 4 years in the past. Jones has additionally gotten promising returns from free-agent pickup Javonte Williams, who’s already rushed for 151 yards and three touchdowns. With cash left over so as to add to a struggling move rush — insert Parsons quip right here — he took a one-year, $3.5 million flier on Jadeveon Clowney.
Not all of that’s instantly associated to the choice to not pay Parsons, clearly, although Jones did say the addition of Clowney is “the explanation we deal with the roster the way in which we deal with it, so we are able to do these sorts of issues.” However his level has been constant. The Parsons commerce has given Jones the sort of monetary flexibility and draft (or commerce) belongings to construct the sort of crew Prescott wants and deserves.
Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have been one of many league’s most formidable passing duos since first becoming a member of forces in 2020. (Picture by Ron Jenkins/Getty Photos)
And he needed to, as a result of it was clear that Prescott couldn’t make it work with Lamb alone. For just a few years now, the Cowboys’ offense has been startlingly one-dimensional. Any crew that managed to close down the Prescott-to-Lamb connection had an amazing probability to win the sport. When Prescott and Lamb went off, the Cowboys had been a menace to everybody. The 2 of them alone might cowl a lot of the Cowboys’ different flaws.
Now they don’t essentially need to — if Jones’ grasp plan proves appropriate. On protection, Jones is betting that defensive deal with Kenny Clark, acquired within the Parsons commerce, will shore up their leaky run protection, particularly late within the season, even when it’s arduous to argue that his new-look protection is healthier general. And the addition of Pickens provides the Cowboys an overqualified Robin reverse Lamb’s Batman within the passing recreation.
“He’s the man who’s going to win one-on-one or if not, draw fouls,” Prescott stated of Pickens. “Very bodily. He is a mismatch for any DB on this league. So, they will need to double. And that’s your troubles proper there. You wish to double him or double CeeDee?
“When these guys aren’t doubled, they will reap the benefits of it.”
There are nonetheless holes in Jones’ grand plan. The offensive line he’s painstakingly constructed over the previous few drafts hasn’t appeared good within the first two video games, and can now be with out middle Cooper Beebe for 6-8 weeks. And, naturally, the Parsons-less protection has appeared like a legal responsibility early, placing much more stress on Prescott to gentle up the scoreboard.
“I do know Jerry loves Kenny Clark and I get that he desires to enhance the run protection,” the scout stated. “However Parsons is a wrecking ball. You’ll be able to’t simply exchange all of the issues he does.”
True, however Prescott is the sort of quarterback who could make up for what the Cowboys misplaced — once more, assuming the correct of crew is lastly round him. He threw for 4,516 yards and an NFL-best 36 touchdowns in 2023 when the Cowboys had a middling speeding assault, with about 40% of his passing yards going to Lamb. Everybody knew Prescott solely had one actual viable choice, and he nonetheless someway made it work because the Cowboys went 12-5 and gained the NFC East.
With higher personnel round him, there’s no actual cause why he can’t try this once more.
“[Jones] just isn’t improper in what he’s saying,” one NFC scout stated. “The extra belongings you’ve got, the extra cap room you’ve got, the higher crew you’ll be able to construct. And Prescott is an elite quarterback who definitely can win with the best crew round him.
“However it’s about what you do with these belongings that you’ve. These draft picks they received for Parsons (first rounders in 2026 and 2027) gained’t assist for a few years. Does Dak have a greater crew round him now with Parsons gone? I don’t know that we all know that but.”
Jones thinks he is aware of. Buying and selling Parsons away was both a) a wager towards Prescott not being adequate to win all of it with three gamers gobbling up a lot of the membership’s cap house, or b) Parsons not being well worth the largest deal within the league for a non-QB. Jones is clearly suggesting the latter.
Almost one month after buying and selling Micah Parsons, Jerry Jones continues to be explaining his rationale for making the transfer. (Picture by Cooper Neill/Getty Photos)
“I am going to let you know this proper now,” Jones stated, “as we stay up for Dak’s time, once we made his contract and we glance ahead, this was one of the best ways to maximise our probability to get a Tremendous Bowl for Dak.
“Now we have the highest-paid participant within the NFL at quarterback. We made that dedication final yr, and we’re proud we made it. It had all the things to do with [the Parsons trade]. All the things. It provides us each alternative with Dak Prescott and Lamb and the bottom that we’ve received to win now.”
He’s not improper about that. He’s received the best quarterback.
The one query is whether or not Jones, whose personnel blunders have wasted a lot of Prescott’s first 9 years within the NFL, can lastly do proper by him.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He spent six years overlaying the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and earlier than that, 16 years overlaying the Giants and the NFL for the New York Every day Information. Observe him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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