Post by prossman on Feb 27, 2009 17:17:26 GMT -7
Spagnola: Stephen Jones Says A Lot With Few Words
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Talking Priorities
Spagnola: Stephen Jones Says A Lot With Few Words
Mickey Spagnola - Email
DallasCowboys.com Columnist
February 26, 2009 5:45 PM
FORT WORTH - Maybe the most expedient thing to do is tell you what Stephen Jones did not say out here Thursday afternoon.
He was at the downtown Fort Worth Club, along with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach and a host of other dignitaries for the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee's luncheon to basically further create awareness for the huge event coming to this region in 2011.
And Stephen's few words have nothing to do with any sort of "gag" order but more to do with just good business this time of year, knowing free agency and the trading period open at 11:01 p.m. (CT) Thursday. Who among you show their hands at the poker table?
Stephen Jones would not say who the Cowboys might soon release, knowing all along, though, the Cowboys were in the process of releasing veteran backup quarterback Brad Johnson this day, basically pushing another $2 million into their salary cap but at the same time costing them $833,334 against the cap for the remaining portion of his prorated signing bonus - though he did adamantly state the Cowboys don't need to make any roster moves to free up cap space, that these decisions are, and will be, based on production.
He would not tip his hand about anything the Cowboys might have up their free-agent sleeves or in their trade minds, even though national reports now are suggesting they are floating safety Roy Williams out there, which, to me, isn't all that far-fetched.
The Cowboys vice president would not confirm the $10 million number most seem to suggest the Cowboys have remaining under the cap, and even though the actual salary cap for 2009 apparently will be bumped up another $4 million to $127 million, he would not even admit to a ballpark figure. Who among you show friends your savings account?
Jones would not agree with the assumption the Cowboys are waiting for the majority of their eight unrestricted free agents to set market value before negotiating with them, saying, "I wouldn't necessarily say that . . . we've been in touch with every one of our guys, and that's just not necessarily the case."
And when jokingly asked, So you want T.O. back, Jones grinned widely, saying, "I didn't say anything like that, did I?"
Nope he sure didn't, but when it was suggested by one reporter, Do I catch your drift, a play on Jerry Jones' words pertaining to Terrell Owens at the NFL combine earlier in the week, Stephen said, "You did not catch my drift. I didn't have a drift."
What Stephen, though, did establish was getting DeMarcus Ware signed to a contract extension, and as soon as possible, is the team's No. 1 priority at the start of free agency. Not luring Ray Lewis here. Not luring Albert Haynesworth here. Not signing Derrick Brooks or Joey Galloway or Marvin Harrison or Warrick Dunn or Laveranues Coles or any other Tom, thingy or Rex that everyone seems interested in the Cowboys grabbing off the free-agent scrap heap.
Ware has one year remaining on the initial five-year contract signed after being selected with the 11th pick in the 2005 draft. They could wait, but they don't want to, and Jones said this really has nothing to do with any manipulation of the salary cap, not this year, nor going into a potentially uncapped season next year.
It's just . . . .
"Because he's a great player and deserves a new contract," Jones said.
"I just think it's just one of those situations when you have someone special like DeMarcus you need to get those things taken care of and not let them linger."
Also maybe not give him another season to drive up the asking price, since he just finished off the 2008 season leading the NFL with 20 sacks and had the club finished with a better record might not have finished second to Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison in the NFL Defensive MVP voting.
Plus, with Ware, having played just four seasons after changing positions from college defensive end to NFL outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, the sky is the limit, and who knows what it might cost to re-sign the NFL's single-season sack record holder, the designation he came up just three sacks short of in 2008.
So before you start playing all this fantasy football stuff here at the start of free agency, first ask yourself this before suggesting the Cowboys need to sign this guy or that guy:
If I do this, will I have enough money left to pay Ware what's going to be the highest salary of any NFL defensive player? Will I have enough cap space left to hand arguably the best defensive player in the NFL like $30 million in either signing bonus and/or guarantees on a five-year deal?
If you know anything about how the Joneses do business, they prioritize, and then tackle the top priority first and then move on to the next highest. So if you are looking for the Cowboys to make that "splash" in free agency, then watch for Ware to land a cannonball of a contract . . . first.
Because when asked if signing Ware to an extension is the top priority this off-season, Jones said, "Absolutely . . . over anything."
Now that right there is saying a lot.
Jones had a lot to say on another topic. In fact, he had so much to say, and apparently enough pent-up anger, that he couldn't even wait until the question had been completed. You probably can figure out the topic. Owens, of course.
There have been these sourced reports floating around about how Stephen is trying to convince his father to cut Owens, that he sees the error of the Cowboys' ways and understands better than his dad how T.O. is no better for the locker room than a lead balloon, the hydrochloric acid of chemistry.
So the question was: Were you offended last week when your name was linked to . . . .
He needed to hear no more. Stephen could answer that question after just 11 words.
"That's absolutely incorrect," Jones said. "That's all I'll tell you. That's incorrect. We have our discussions but we never had - we're on the same page, I can assure you of that."
There you go.
Now having said all this, listening to Stephen with Rayfield Wright walking by, and at times Charlie Waters and Cliff Harris and Daryl Johnston, other former Cowboys players intimately involved in this Super Bowl XLV project that seemingly is becoming quite infectious in the area, he also didn't make it sound as if the Cowboys were going to buy tickets for front row seats to free agency.
After all, when you go 9-7 in three of the past four years, you do have needs, and the Cowboys even more so if they should lose defensive end Chris Canty in free agency.
"Our philosophy is to improve our football team, whatever that entails with whatever means that we have," Jones said. "Everybody knows we have a tight cap situation and we're trying to improve ourselves. That's our philosophy for free agency, the draft and anything else that might be involved.
"We have things we feel like need to be addressed and certainly we're going to address those."
Certainly Stephen, one of those has to be backup quarterback?
"I wouldn't get into those," Jones said coyly.
But that does not preclude us from doing so.
Backup quarterback is a no brainer, since they released Johnson, who was going to be owed $2 million, what with a $500,000 roster bonus due, along with the possibility of $1 million in incentives being earned, which would have counted against this year's cap since next year, when it normally would have counted, is potentially an uncapped season. Plus, Brooks Bollinger is an unrestricted free agent.
A few more suspects were dropped into the available but less-than stellar pool with the recent releases of Rex Grossman, Trent Green, Damon Huard and Jeff Garcia. The trick will be to find someone capable of winning two of three games with Tony Romo sidelined with injury instead of coming within four points of losing all three games as Johnson did in 2008.
Then, to me, a defensive lineman, end or nose tackle. Sure, Jay Ratliff can transition to end if Canty can't be re-signed, but then who is going to play nose tackle, the position he played to a Pro Bowl level? So if they leave Ratliff on the nose, then are you trusting either Stephen Bowen or Jason Hatcher to be a fulltime starter? Uh, not me, not without another alternative.
Then, with Zach Thomas and Kevin Burnett unrestricted free agents, another inside linebacker. What if neither is re-signed? You trusting Bobby Carpenter? Sure, it's high time he's given a legitimate chance to start, but not sure you want to bank totally on him.
Then safety. Again? You kidding me? Unfortunately, no. Got two starters who don't want to hit (Ken Hamlin and Roy Williams), one part-time starter who wants to hit but can't stay healthy (Keith Davis), another potential starter with a bad neck (Pat Watkins) and a bunch of guys named Courtney.
That about cover it? At least for top priorities, which to me, re-signing Davis as a special teams player is among them - so obvious almost not even worth mentioning.
So there were your Cowboys no more than 10 hours away from the start of free agency. Not a lot of money, and even less projected to be available if meeting Ware's needs is top priority, followed by backup quarterback, defensive line, inside linebacker and safety.
And when they shop, just like you in these stressed economic times, they must be frugal, simply address the necessities and demonstrate great restraint when tempted by guilty pleasures.
"I just think we need to improve," Stephen Jones said. "Obviously we didn't get accomplished what we wanted to last year."
Again, saying a whole lot without saying much.
__________________
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talking Priorities
Spagnola: Stephen Jones Says A Lot With Few Words
Mickey Spagnola - Email
DallasCowboys.com Columnist
February 26, 2009 5:45 PM
FORT WORTH - Maybe the most expedient thing to do is tell you what Stephen Jones did not say out here Thursday afternoon.
He was at the downtown Fort Worth Club, along with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach and a host of other dignitaries for the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee's luncheon to basically further create awareness for the huge event coming to this region in 2011.
And Stephen's few words have nothing to do with any sort of "gag" order but more to do with just good business this time of year, knowing free agency and the trading period open at 11:01 p.m. (CT) Thursday. Who among you show their hands at the poker table?
Stephen Jones would not say who the Cowboys might soon release, knowing all along, though, the Cowboys were in the process of releasing veteran backup quarterback Brad Johnson this day, basically pushing another $2 million into their salary cap but at the same time costing them $833,334 against the cap for the remaining portion of his prorated signing bonus - though he did adamantly state the Cowboys don't need to make any roster moves to free up cap space, that these decisions are, and will be, based on production.
He would not tip his hand about anything the Cowboys might have up their free-agent sleeves or in their trade minds, even though national reports now are suggesting they are floating safety Roy Williams out there, which, to me, isn't all that far-fetched.
The Cowboys vice president would not confirm the $10 million number most seem to suggest the Cowboys have remaining under the cap, and even though the actual salary cap for 2009 apparently will be bumped up another $4 million to $127 million, he would not even admit to a ballpark figure. Who among you show friends your savings account?
Jones would not agree with the assumption the Cowboys are waiting for the majority of their eight unrestricted free agents to set market value before negotiating with them, saying, "I wouldn't necessarily say that . . . we've been in touch with every one of our guys, and that's just not necessarily the case."
And when jokingly asked, So you want T.O. back, Jones grinned widely, saying, "I didn't say anything like that, did I?"
Nope he sure didn't, but when it was suggested by one reporter, Do I catch your drift, a play on Jerry Jones' words pertaining to Terrell Owens at the NFL combine earlier in the week, Stephen said, "You did not catch my drift. I didn't have a drift."
What Stephen, though, did establish was getting DeMarcus Ware signed to a contract extension, and as soon as possible, is the team's No. 1 priority at the start of free agency. Not luring Ray Lewis here. Not luring Albert Haynesworth here. Not signing Derrick Brooks or Joey Galloway or Marvin Harrison or Warrick Dunn or Laveranues Coles or any other Tom, thingy or Rex that everyone seems interested in the Cowboys grabbing off the free-agent scrap heap.
Ware has one year remaining on the initial five-year contract signed after being selected with the 11th pick in the 2005 draft. They could wait, but they don't want to, and Jones said this really has nothing to do with any manipulation of the salary cap, not this year, nor going into a potentially uncapped season next year.
It's just . . . .
"Because he's a great player and deserves a new contract," Jones said.
"I just think it's just one of those situations when you have someone special like DeMarcus you need to get those things taken care of and not let them linger."
Also maybe not give him another season to drive up the asking price, since he just finished off the 2008 season leading the NFL with 20 sacks and had the club finished with a better record might not have finished second to Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison in the NFL Defensive MVP voting.
Plus, with Ware, having played just four seasons after changing positions from college defensive end to NFL outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, the sky is the limit, and who knows what it might cost to re-sign the NFL's single-season sack record holder, the designation he came up just three sacks short of in 2008.
So before you start playing all this fantasy football stuff here at the start of free agency, first ask yourself this before suggesting the Cowboys need to sign this guy or that guy:
If I do this, will I have enough money left to pay Ware what's going to be the highest salary of any NFL defensive player? Will I have enough cap space left to hand arguably the best defensive player in the NFL like $30 million in either signing bonus and/or guarantees on a five-year deal?
If you know anything about how the Joneses do business, they prioritize, and then tackle the top priority first and then move on to the next highest. So if you are looking for the Cowboys to make that "splash" in free agency, then watch for Ware to land a cannonball of a contract . . . first.
Because when asked if signing Ware to an extension is the top priority this off-season, Jones said, "Absolutely . . . over anything."
Now that right there is saying a lot.
Jones had a lot to say on another topic. In fact, he had so much to say, and apparently enough pent-up anger, that he couldn't even wait until the question had been completed. You probably can figure out the topic. Owens, of course.
There have been these sourced reports floating around about how Stephen is trying to convince his father to cut Owens, that he sees the error of the Cowboys' ways and understands better than his dad how T.O. is no better for the locker room than a lead balloon, the hydrochloric acid of chemistry.
So the question was: Were you offended last week when your name was linked to . . . .
He needed to hear no more. Stephen could answer that question after just 11 words.
"That's absolutely incorrect," Jones said. "That's all I'll tell you. That's incorrect. We have our discussions but we never had - we're on the same page, I can assure you of that."
There you go.
Now having said all this, listening to Stephen with Rayfield Wright walking by, and at times Charlie Waters and Cliff Harris and Daryl Johnston, other former Cowboys players intimately involved in this Super Bowl XLV project that seemingly is becoming quite infectious in the area, he also didn't make it sound as if the Cowboys were going to buy tickets for front row seats to free agency.
After all, when you go 9-7 in three of the past four years, you do have needs, and the Cowboys even more so if they should lose defensive end Chris Canty in free agency.
"Our philosophy is to improve our football team, whatever that entails with whatever means that we have," Jones said. "Everybody knows we have a tight cap situation and we're trying to improve ourselves. That's our philosophy for free agency, the draft and anything else that might be involved.
"We have things we feel like need to be addressed and certainly we're going to address those."
Certainly Stephen, one of those has to be backup quarterback?
"I wouldn't get into those," Jones said coyly.
But that does not preclude us from doing so.
Backup quarterback is a no brainer, since they released Johnson, who was going to be owed $2 million, what with a $500,000 roster bonus due, along with the possibility of $1 million in incentives being earned, which would have counted against this year's cap since next year, when it normally would have counted, is potentially an uncapped season. Plus, Brooks Bollinger is an unrestricted free agent.
A few more suspects were dropped into the available but less-than stellar pool with the recent releases of Rex Grossman, Trent Green, Damon Huard and Jeff Garcia. The trick will be to find someone capable of winning two of three games with Tony Romo sidelined with injury instead of coming within four points of losing all three games as Johnson did in 2008.
Then, to me, a defensive lineman, end or nose tackle. Sure, Jay Ratliff can transition to end if Canty can't be re-signed, but then who is going to play nose tackle, the position he played to a Pro Bowl level? So if they leave Ratliff on the nose, then are you trusting either Stephen Bowen or Jason Hatcher to be a fulltime starter? Uh, not me, not without another alternative.
Then, with Zach Thomas and Kevin Burnett unrestricted free agents, another inside linebacker. What if neither is re-signed? You trusting Bobby Carpenter? Sure, it's high time he's given a legitimate chance to start, but not sure you want to bank totally on him.
Then safety. Again? You kidding me? Unfortunately, no. Got two starters who don't want to hit (Ken Hamlin and Roy Williams), one part-time starter who wants to hit but can't stay healthy (Keith Davis), another potential starter with a bad neck (Pat Watkins) and a bunch of guys named Courtney.
That about cover it? At least for top priorities, which to me, re-signing Davis as a special teams player is among them - so obvious almost not even worth mentioning.
So there were your Cowboys no more than 10 hours away from the start of free agency. Not a lot of money, and even less projected to be available if meeting Ware's needs is top priority, followed by backup quarterback, defensive line, inside linebacker and safety.
And when they shop, just like you in these stressed economic times, they must be frugal, simply address the necessities and demonstrate great restraint when tempted by guilty pleasures.
"I just think we need to improve," Stephen Jones said. "Obviously we didn't get accomplished what we wanted to last year."
Again, saying a whole lot without saying much.
__________________