New report confirms inevitable about Jerry Jones' offseason promise

Jerry Jones is no stranger to giving fans and the media what they want to hear. It's stomach-churning in many ways, but he's mastered the art of keeping the Dallas Cowboys a prime talking point both when the team is an afterthought in the NFL news cycle and even during the dog days of the offseason.

Appearing at the Senior Bowl in early February, Jones proclaimed that the Cowboys would be all-in this offseason following another playoff letdown.

"I would anticipate we will be all-in at the end of this year," Jones said. "We will push the hell out of it. It will be going all-in on different people than you've done in the past. We will be going all-in . . . Yes, I would say that you will see us this coming year not build for the future."

The quote initially sparked excitement, but Jones' history as Cowboys de facto general manager offered little room for optimism in the grand scheme. It's one thing for Jones to claim being "all-in" but would he actually follow through?

That remains to be seen, but a report from Michael Gehklen of the Dallas Morning News highly suggests the owner was being disingenuous.

Cowboys reportedly won't be all in like Jerry Jones promised

"Ultimately, there is no clear indication the Cowboys have made a seismic shift in the draft-first philosophy by which they’ve long constructed their roster. As last March showed, the mindset does allow space for veteran acquisitions such as cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks via trade."

Gehlken notes that Jones' all-in remarks referenced handing out contract extensions to Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons. The star trio could become the highest-paid players at their respective positions when all is said and done. To Jones, the one writing the checks, those moves meet the all in qualification.

Signing the franchise's three-best players to extensions should be the expectation of any competent front office, regardless of their market value. It doesn't qualify as being all in to accomplish a playoff breakthrough 27 years in the making. That's obvious to even a beginner-level sports fan.

It's clear Jones' comments were made to win back a defeated fan base and, of course, make the Cowboys the lead storyline in sports media.

Is it possible Dallas is aggressive this offseason relative to their conservative standard? Perhaps, but they bucked that trend last year when they made low-risk trades for veterans Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks.

We wouldn't be opposed to similar deals this offseason, but there's little to no chance Jones mortgages future drafts in the name of chasing a Super Bowl. Similarly, it was always foolish to think Jones was going to hand out $100 million in guaranteed money on the first day of free agency.

All signs point to it being business as usual for the Cowboys. But we already knew that.

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