Widely expected to come out of the first round of the NFL Draft with a new starting wide receiver, the Dallas Cowboys shocked everyone and drafted Alabama guard Tyler Booker.
Booker played left guard for the Crimson Tide. That position obviously belongs to Tyler Smith. Cowboys fans will be pleased to hear Dallas doesn't plan to move their All-Pro. The team is confident Booker will make a smooth transition to right guard, which previously belonged to Zack Martin.
In a vacuum, this is a pick that helps Dak Prescott. That much is obvious, but Jerry Jones made things awkward with his quarterback while explaining why Dallas drafted Booker.
Cowboys' Jerry Jones takes unintentional shot at Dak Prescott after Tyler Booker pick
"When you make somebody the highest paid player in the NFL you’d like to have somebody in front of him," Jones said via ESPN's Todd Archer.
Of course Jones had to mention Prescott's contract. Is the sky blue?
It is the same song and dance every time the Cowboys make a major roster move. Obviously Prescott's contract factors into decisions, but Jones goes out of his way to remind the masses that Prescott is the highest-paid quarterback seemingly every time he's behind the mic.
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Yes, spending a first-round pick on Zack Martin's replacement is a Dak-friendly pick. It can also be argued that Prescott would have benefitted more from a new pass-catcher.
What makes the Booker pick more head-scratching is the Cowboys signed multiple reserve guards this offseason. The list includes Robert Jones, Saahdiq Charles and Hakeem Adeniji. All three players have starting experience in the league.
They join T.J. Bass, Brock Hoffman and Asim Richards, who can play tackle, as backup options who can start at guard in a pinch. Do one of them suddenly become trade bait?
Meanwhile, the Cowboys' only WR acquisition this offseason is Parris Campbell, who has less than 140 combined receiving yards over the last two seasons. Jonathan Mingo is sort of a new player being he came over from Carolina after Prescott was already injured, but the lack of WR activity led everyone to think that was the target in round one.
Regardless, it is baffling that Jones continuously jumps at the first opportunity to loop Prescott's contract into every conversation. He is only the highest-paid QB because Jones botched their negotiations. It dates all the way back to Dak's first extension.
Prescott might be the only QB in the league whose owner uses the contract they offered against him. No. 4 doesn't get nearly enough credit for what he puts up with.