Cowboys have seen worse days, but this was costly
It was an active yet unsatisfying day at The Star that saw Jerry Jones settle his debts and the club cut one of its recent free agent acquisitions to save some bucks.
On top of that, the Cowboys sat idly by while two teams in their division, including the World Champion Philadelphia Eagles, traded for starters while giving up little in return.
There have been worse days for this franchise through the years — many, come to think of it — but Wednesday was a costly one. Jones personally incurred the biggest hit.
The Cowboys owner was unsuccessful in his challenge to block commissioner Roger Goodell’s contract extension and outspoken in his resistance to the NFL’s six-game suspension of star running back Ezekiel Elliott. The league came after Jones to recoup the legal costs expended to ward off those threats.
Jones met with Goodell and the league’s finance committee for an hour late Monday afternoon in Palm Beach, Fla. The NFL office issued this statement Wednesday afternoon:
“After a hearing with the Commissioner and the Finance Committee, the matter of the reimbursement of legal fees has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.”
There are indications Jones didn’t pay the full amount initially sought by the league — “resolved to the satisfaction of all parties” is how the statement reads — but it’s still believed he forked over in the neighborhood of $2 million. Jones is willing to do this because he believes he made his point about Goodell’s contract. It’s a signal to fellow owners that the issue is resolved and he’s ready to move on.
Those convinced Jones was itching to continue the fight, that he had no intention of letting this drop, were buoyed more by the hope of conflict than precedent.
Jones has a rebellious streak. He doesn’t shy away from a fight. But he does this from within the establishment, not as an outcast in the mold of former Oakland owner Al Davis.
Davis never came close to the sort of power Jones wields because he worked outside the system. He was a lone wolf, not someone who tries to build consensus like Jones.
Jones staged a place coup. He lost. There was a price to pay for his insubordination. If he didn’t let this drop, he would have lost influence going forward.
Jones wasn’t about to risk that for a couple of million. Heck, the club created more cap room than that later Wednesday afternoon.
The defensive end’s release comes as no surprise. The Cowboys need to tighten the payroll heading into free agency. Defensive end Benson Mayowa and his minimal production was a good place to start.
The club saves $2.75 million with this move.
Tight end James Hanna and cornerback Orlando Scandrick are two more players who should be anxious in the coming days. The Cowboys can carve out another $2.75 million by letting Hanna go and pick up $1.4 million in room by cutting or trading Scandrick.
While the Cowboys are currently looking to shed players, the Eagles and New York Giants have gone about adding them.
Philadelphia is not resting on its Lombardi laurels as it went out Wednesday and acquired defensive end Michael Bennett and a seventh round pick from Seattle for receiver Marcus Johnson and a fifth round pick. The Giants engineered a trade later in the day that brought linebacker Alec Ogletree into the fold. All New York had to do was send a fourth- and sixth-round pick to the LA Rams in return.