Stephen Jones should probably stop talking.
Can we just fast forward to when the Dallas Cowboys have signed Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to contract extensions? While Prescott has reported to training camp, Lamb is staging a holdout until he signs a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL, if not the highest-paid.
Any functional organization would have had Prescott and Lamb's deals done last offseason. The Cowboys could have even rationalized signing Prescott last year and finalizing Lamb's contract this summer. Even if both got done this March, Cowboys fans would have very little to complain about.
At the team's annual press conference on Thursday to kick off training camp, Jerry and Stephen Jones predictably defended their contract negligence. While Jerry made some truly baffling remarks about the salary cap, Stephen may have won the day in terms of foolish comments.
In an unprecedented move, Jones disclosed Lamb's contract demands to the world amid the wide receiver's holdout. It simply does not get worse than that, but Jones had another painful answer while discussing the difficulty in getting Lamb's deal done.
Cowboys' Stephen Jones eats instant crow after wild CeeDee Lamb comment
A few weeks ago, Stephen Jones told The Athletic that the Vikings don't have anyone making $20 million per year, which made it easier for them to give superstar receiver Justin Jefferson $35 million annually, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.
As if they heard Jones' comment, Minnesota this week gave left tackle Christian Darrisaw a four-year extension worth $113 million an $77million guaranteed. Darrisaw's $26 million AAV makes him the highest-paid LT in the game.
Jones brought up the Vikings' salary cap again on Thursday. He mentioned that they aren't paying big-money to anyone but Jefferson and that's why they can afford him. This shows how out of touch the Joneses are with the current NFL. One would think they'd be update to date on notable happenings around the league before their annual state of the union presser.
Beyond that, Jones' knowledge of the cap is totally erroneous.
Of the 14 teams whose quarterbacks make $40 million per year, only three don't have another player making $20 million on a multi-year contract: the COWBOYS, Bengals and Texans. The rival Eagles lead the way with five players. There are also a handful of teams around the league that are paying two receivers $20 million annually.
Jones' excuse holds zero merit. And it's all worsened by the fact that the Cowboys could have avoided this if they simply extended Lamb or Prescott last summer. They're pointing the finger at everyone but themselves. The lack of accountability is preposterous. It's really no wonder this team has found it impossible to advance beyond the divisional round since 1995.
