'All-In' Cowboys Will 'Push The Hell Out of It!' Why Jerry Jones' Change in Roster Plan?
The Dallas Cowboys are in Mobile, Alabama, on Tuesday to watch the first day of practice for the Senior Bowl, as the NFL Draft season is officially getting underway. It didn't stop Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones from stealing the show in Mobile, however.
When speaking with the media on Tuesday, Jones was asked about the Cowboys' state of mind heading into 2024 after a third straight early playoff exit followed an impressive 12-win regular season.
“I think we’ll push the hell out of it,” Jones said. “We’ll be going all in. … I would say that you will see us this coming year not building for the future. That’s the best way I know how to say it. That ought to answer a lot of questions.”
The comment from the 81-year-old would seem to signal that he is pushing all of his proverbial chips to the middle of the table as the Cowboys hope to capture their sixth Super Bowl in franchise history.
But ... it isn't just the statement of intention from Jones that makes this quote a headline, as - if true - it also signals a drastic shift in mindset.
It was at this time last year, at the Senior Bowl ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles' appearance in their second time Super Bowl in just the last six years, that Jones publicly scoffed at the idea of going "all in."
“I’m real hesitant to bet it all for a year,” Jones said. “There’s a lot of things that can happen for that year. … A couple of teams [Eagles and Rams] that have had some real success putting it all out there and paying for it later. Don’t think that doesn’t pop in my head and get my eye, as far as doing it, and I know how to do that.”
So what changed? One of two ideas worth examining ...
One - Maybe it's Timing. Jones has addressed his mortality - he actually did so in a season-ending team meeting with players - and with the Cowboys having not played in a Super Bowl in 29 years, he remains intent on capturing another Lombardi Trophy.
So ... bring on the modern-day Deion Sanders signing and the modern-day Charles Haley trade? Ummm, maybe.
Two - Maybe it's Baloney. Indeed, when we review what Jerry thinks "all in'' means, we wonder if it's nothing more than a marketing ploy (read here) ... or even that he doesn't recognize what the public interprets that phrase as meaning. (Example: He's making it sound like a Dak Prescott extension is "all in,'' when in fact as planned its simply business as usual and standard operating procedure.)
Dak Prescott New Contract: Does Jerry Not Understand the Cap?
Going "all in" is seemingly a smart choice for the Cowboys. ... and it's a crowd-pleasing concept, too. "Push the hell out of it'' will be fun to chronicle - just as soon as it actually becomes something more than an empty promise.