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BRANDON GEORGE Staff Writer
MOBILE, Ala. — This might not sit well with some Cowboys fans. Stephen Jones is no different from his father.
Well, at least when it comes to his aggressive mentality.
Jones, who as Cowboys executive vice president is in charge of the club’s contracts and managing the salary cap, said Wednesday that he believes in the same “go-for-it” approach that Jerry Jones has had in place since he bought the team.
“Absolutely, I totally support it,” Stephen Jones said from Senior Bowl practices before the Cowboys staff headed back to Dallas. “Obviously, we’re trying to win. When you get these good quarterbacks, you want to fire at it … to give you an opportunity to win a championship. Obviously that’s what we want to get done.”
The Cowboys, however, have mostly fired blanks in trying to recapture their mid-1990s glory. Often they’ve shot themselves in the foot in giving aging players big money in long-term contracts, crippling the club in its pursuit of free agents with little salary-cap space to utilize.
This season is no different. The Cowboys are at least a league-high $25 million over the salary cap. Stephen Jones said, however, the team will have no problem getting under the cap by the March 11 deadline.
“We’ll always manage through it,” he said. “It limits you. It’s tight. At the same time, we can get done what we need to get done and get better.”
Cowboys contracts are structured with built-in triggers to turn base salary into signing bonuses. That automatically reduces players’ cap hits and means that getting under the cap really won’t be an obstacle. The Cowboys will continue to restructure the contracts of their stars and push their problems down the road.
The Cowboys’ tight cap situation, however, will keep the club from using its franchise tag again this season on one of its unrestricted free agents, such as defensive linemen Jason Hatcher or Anthony Spencer.
“I don’t think the tag is going to be in play for us this year,” Stephen Jones said. “I just don’t see it where we need it this year.”
Jones did say, however, he’s open to re-signing Spencer, who played in only one game last season before having to undergo microfracture surgery on his left knee on Oct. 1.
“He’s the type of player you want on your team,” Jones said. “We’ve got our fingers crossed, and I know he does, too, that his injury comes along in the proper way.”
Earlier this week, Jerry Jones said he doesn’t ever see a time when the Cowboys won’t be “under some serious challenges on the salary cap.”
“That’ll always be there for us because we’re that aggressive with our dollars,” the owner said.
Stephen Jones sees the same future for the Cowboys.
“Anytime you’re paying a quarterback that type of money, which you hope you are because that means you’ve got a good one, it immediately means that you’re going to be tight,” Stephen Jones said.
The Cowboys made quarterback Tony Romo the highest-paid player in franchise history last off-season when they signed him to a six-year, $108 million contract extension. Since then, he’s had two back surgeries.
Win or lose, Romo isn’t going anywhere for at least a few more seasons. But other aging Cowboys face a more uncertain future.
Defensive end DeMarcus Ware, who again fought injuries last season and finished with a career-low six sacks, is scheduled to make $12.2 million in 2014 and count $16 million against the cap.
The Cowboys could ask Ware to take a pay cut this off-season. Ware said after the season he’s fine with restructuring his contract again but not OK with a pay cut.
Stephen Jones declined to comment on Ware on Wednesday, adding, “We’re all in the middle of evaluating what we’re going to do.”
The Cowboys also face a tough decision on what to do with veteran wide receiver Miles Austin. He again couldn’t stay on the field, because of a hamstring injury, and had his worst season as a starter last year with only 24 catches for 244 yards and no touchdowns.
The Cowboys would save $5.5 million against the cap if they make Austin a post-June 1 cut. They could also ask him to take a pay cut.
“Miles is another one of those guys who has had a great career with us, no different from any of our other guys,” Stephen Jones said. “We have to evaluate it, what resources he takes up and then make decisions from there.”
Tough decisions still await the Cowboys. Father and son Jones won’t back down. They never do.
MOBILE, Ala. — This might not sit well with some Cowboys fans. Stephen Jones is no different from his father.
Well, at least when it comes to his aggressive mentality.
Jones, who as Cowboys executive vice president is in charge of the club’s contracts and managing the salary cap, said Wednesday that he believes in the same “go-for-it” approach that Jerry Jones has had in place since he bought the team.
“Absolutely, I totally support it,” Stephen Jones said from Senior Bowl practices before the Cowboys staff headed back to Dallas. “Obviously, we’re trying to win. When you get these good quarterbacks, you want to fire at it … to give you an opportunity to win a championship. Obviously that’s what we want to get done.”
The Cowboys, however, have mostly fired blanks in trying to recapture their mid-1990s glory. Often they’ve shot themselves in the foot in giving aging players big money in long-term contracts, crippling the club in its pursuit of free agents with little salary-cap space to utilize.
This season is no different. The Cowboys are at least a league-high $25 million over the salary cap. Stephen Jones said, however, the team will have no problem getting under the cap by the March 11 deadline.
“We’ll always manage through it,” he said. “It limits you. It’s tight. At the same time, we can get done what we need to get done and get better.”
Cowboys contracts are structured with built-in triggers to turn base salary into signing bonuses. That automatically reduces players’ cap hits and means that getting under the cap really won’t be an obstacle. The Cowboys will continue to restructure the contracts of their stars and push their problems down the road.
The Cowboys’ tight cap situation, however, will keep the club from using its franchise tag again this season on one of its unrestricted free agents, such as defensive linemen Jason Hatcher or Anthony Spencer.
“I don’t think the tag is going to be in play for us this year,” Stephen Jones said. “I just don’t see it where we need it this year.”
Jones did say, however, he’s open to re-signing Spencer, who played in only one game last season before having to undergo microfracture surgery on his left knee on Oct. 1.
“He’s the type of player you want on your team,” Jones said. “We’ve got our fingers crossed, and I know he does, too, that his injury comes along in the proper way.”
Earlier this week, Jerry Jones said he doesn’t ever see a time when the Cowboys won’t be “under some serious challenges on the salary cap.”
“That’ll always be there for us because we’re that aggressive with our dollars,” the owner said.
Stephen Jones sees the same future for the Cowboys.
“Anytime you’re paying a quarterback that type of money, which you hope you are because that means you’ve got a good one, it immediately means that you’re going to be tight,” Stephen Jones said.
The Cowboys made quarterback Tony Romo the highest-paid player in franchise history last off-season when they signed him to a six-year, $108 million contract extension. Since then, he’s had two back surgeries.
Win or lose, Romo isn’t going anywhere for at least a few more seasons. But other aging Cowboys face a more uncertain future.
Defensive end DeMarcus Ware, who again fought injuries last season and finished with a career-low six sacks, is scheduled to make $12.2 million in 2014 and count $16 million against the cap.
The Cowboys could ask Ware to take a pay cut this off-season. Ware said after the season he’s fine with restructuring his contract again but not OK with a pay cut.
Stephen Jones declined to comment on Ware on Wednesday, adding, “We’re all in the middle of evaluating what we’re going to do.”
The Cowboys also face a tough decision on what to do with veteran wide receiver Miles Austin. He again couldn’t stay on the field, because of a hamstring injury, and had his worst season as a starter last year with only 24 catches for 244 yards and no touchdowns.
The Cowboys would save $5.5 million against the cap if they make Austin a post-June 1 cut. They could also ask him to take a pay cut.
“Miles is another one of those guys who has had a great career with us, no different from any of our other guys,” Stephen Jones said. “We have to evaluate it, what resources he takes up and then make decisions from there.”
Tough decisions still await the Cowboys. Father and son Jones won’t back down. They never do.
