Stephen Jones Again Re-Defines Cowboys 'All In'; Fans 'Have Right' to Be Frustrated

With many fans upset about the Dallas Cowboys' inactivity in free agency, Stephen Jones has defined what his father, Jerry, meant by being "all in."

What did Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones mean when he said his team would be "all in" on trying to win a Super Bowl in 2024? 

Fans have been asking themselves this question for weeks: Does it mean the Cowboys will spend big in free agency for the first time in years? Or is it fluff from Jones, in the sense that he is just saying things that will get the fanbase talking about something other than the latest playoff disappointment?

Well, after the first three days of free agency saw the signing of inside linebacker Eric Kendricks be the Cowboys' only outside addition - which is a far cry from the expectations set by the conventional definition of the term "all in" - team COO Stephen Jones finally set the record straight on what it means inside The Star. 

"We don’t define ‘all in’ by what you spend in free agency ... It's keeping your core and some of the great players in this league - like Dak Prescott, like Micah Parsons, like CeeDee Lamb, like (Trevon) Diggs,'' Jones said. "That's what we define as all in, is trying to keep those guys." 

Oh. Again, that's not "conventional.'' Furthermore, an organization doesn't "get better'' by keeping its own, as important as it is to do so. Oh, and a team doesn't "get brownie points'' for keeping its own, either. It's expected.

Therefore, to many in Cowboys Nation, Stephen's "explanation'' simply adds to the frustration.

"Everybody certainly has that right," he said of fan unhappiness. "I know where the frustration is, it's the fact that we haven't had success in the playoffs to their satisfaction. We know that’s going to be there, but we’re going to stick with what we believe will ultimately get us a championship here for our fans.

Clutchpoints

So, in summary, the Cowboys' offseason philosophy isn't changing from what it's been in the last few years. (Except for maybe a "Blow It Up'' idea about a rebuild in 2025.) If their definition of being "all in" is keeping their "core" players together, then they have been "all in" for years now, and still, they are almost 30 years removed from their last NFC Championship game appearance.

Meanwhile, that "all-in'' goal? Prescott is set to play on an expiring contract and pending his signing of an extension could be a free agent after this year. Indeed, without an extension or the pulling of any financial levers, Prescott will count $59.4 million against the Cowboys' cap in 2024. 

So even Dallas' goal of re-upping Dak, Lamb and Micah hasn't been achieved.

It is easy to understand why many fans are upset with the Cowboys' offseason. To this point, the Cowboys have lost much more than they've gained. Eric Kendricks is their sole addition, while they've managed to re-sign cornerback Jourdan Lewis, special-teamer C.J. Goodwin and long-snapper Trent Sieg.

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So, by all indications, the Cowboys' offseason plan is as follows: 

1) Re-sign key players (The Big 4?) to contract extensions 

2) Shop in the proverbial "clearance" section in free agency (by offering only one-year deals?)

3) Build through the NFL Draft

Will this result in any changes in terms of postseason success? If the past indicates future success, then the answer seems to be much clearer than Dallas' new-fangled definitions of words. And that answer seems to be "no.''