Stephen Jones From The Owner's Meeting

boozeman

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ravidubey

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The strategy is to stay young and deep on defense while paying stars on offense.

We will do better overall if we stop taking chances on injured or troubled players.

At least reduce the risk by waiting after the 3rd round.
 

boozeman

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Stephen Jones: we feel good about what Jeff Heath can do
March 26, 2017 Mark Lane

PHOENIX — The Dallas Cowboys may have lost two safeties to free agency this off-season, but Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones is confident in Jeff Heath’s ability to man the back end.

“He made what normally would have been the game winning play [against Green Bay]*if we didn’t have a tough call,” said Jones Sunday at the NFL owners meetings. “That comes with our game. He had a huge sack in the game. He theoretically had two picks. He was making plays. I think if you turn on the tape and watch that there are a lot of people who wonder why isn’t that guys starting, you know, in terms of making plays on the ball and that type of thing.”

An undrafted free agent out of Saginaw Valley State in 2013, Heath has only missed two games out of an eligible 64 in his career. Along the way, he has made 122 tackles, intercepted four passes, deflected seven more, caused two forced fumbles, and recovered a fumble for a a touchdown. In 2015, he led the Cowboys with two interceptions.

However, Heath, who is the senior safety in the secondary entering his fifth year, understands he will be competing against the likes of second-year safety Kavon Frazier for a starting spot alongside third-year man Byron Jones.

Said Jones: “We feel good about what Jeff can do. At the same time, he obviously knows he’s going to have to compete. We really like what we saw out of Kavon last year. That’s where most of those good safeties start, start to show up on special teams, which he did. We’ll bring him along too.”

Jones also hinted the club may continue to sift through the remaining free agent pool to see if there is anyone available who could help out.

“We’re always looking for the right guy like we pulled the trigger the other day on our offensive tackle [Byron Bell],” said Jones. “Just because they’re not signed yet doesn’t mean they won’t be signed.”
*
Dallas may not need to wade through the shallow end of the free agent pool to shore up their secondary. Jones indicated the club’s focus would be on defense in the draft, and the re-signing of Terrance Williams makes the narrowed approach on one side of the ball easier.
 

boozeman

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Cotton

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I really fucking wish they would using the damn phrase, "right kinda guy". It would be different if they hadn't drafted and signed guys in the last few years that aren't RKGs. But, they have. And, it's insulting to my intelligence that they keep pushing this.
 

boozeman

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"We feel good about what Jeff can do" sounds a lot like "we like what Phil Costa can do" and countless other mistakes.
 

Simpleton

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I'm not happy about Heath probably starting next season but Marinelli put together a somewhat competent defense with Wilcox playing alot of single high, so I think we can probably make due with Heath. He actually basically split snaps with Wilcox during the playoff game, so I think we can get by with him as a big part of our nickel/dime defense, I just don't like the idea of him playing 95% of the defensive snaps.
 

lostxn

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I'm not happy about Heath probably starting next season but Marinelli put together a somewhat competent defense with Wilcox playing alot of single high, so I think we can probably make due with Heath. He actually basically split snaps with Wilcox during the playoff game, so I think we can get by with him as a big part of our nickel/dime defense, I just don't like the idea of him playing 95% of the defensive snaps.
He's more of a less is more kind of guy but I may be scarred from his horrid first season.
 

VA Cowboy

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Translation: TE in first round
 

Cowboysrock55

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Translation: TE in first round
Also means we probably won't waste our time with this class of Olineman. I'm happy about that in this crap Oline class.

So really at best you could draft a TE or WR and frankly we don't draft WRs very often. Partially because we have been very successful when we do. So yeah TE or backup RB is about the most you will see.
 

Simpleton

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Aside from the Heath stuff I think you have to be pleased with what you're hearing out of Stephen. There is actually a coherent philosophy behind what they're doing, they aren't just flailing around wildly, and it sounds like it's going to be a very defensive-heavy draft aside from clear BPA opportunities on offense.

Should they have spent a little more in free agency?

Probably but there were very few true difference makers and most of the impact guys were all franchised or re-signed.

It's not perfect but it's a hell of alot better than what we were doing in 1998, 2006 or 2010.
 

VA Cowboy

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Also means we probably won't waste our time with this class of Olineman. I'm happy about that in this crap Oline class.

So really at best you could draft a TE or WR and frankly we don't draft WRs very often. Partially because we have been very successful when we do. So yeah TE or backup RB is about the most you will see.
I think we'll take a TE or WR somewhere in the first 4 rounds with the rest being defensive players. I'd prefer the TE/WR not be taken in the 1st and ideally we'll land a DE, CB and safety all in the top 4 rounds. I'd only take TE/WR over one of those 3 defensive positions if he's clearly BPA.
 

VA Cowboy

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Aside from the Heath stuff I think you have to be pleased with what you're hearing out of Stephen. There is actually a coherent philosophy behind what they're doing, they aren't just flailing around wildly, and it sounds like it's going to be a very defensive-heavy draft aside from clear BPA opportunities on offense.

Should they have spent a little more in free agency?

Probably but there were very few true difference makers and most of the impact guys were all franchised or re-signed.

It's not perfect but it's a hell of alot better than what we were doing in 1998, 2006 or 2010.
From what I've seen over the last few years I few much more confident with Stephen than I ever did with Jerry. If we can just refrain from taking injured/character problem players in the 2nd we might be onto something.
 

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dallen

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Heath's earned the right to compete for a starting spot, but we will probably end up just giving it to him and drafting some lead foot in the 7th round for depth
 

Cotton

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Method to the madness: Why Stephen Jones isn't fretting over Cowboys' free-agent losses

By David Moore , Staff Writer C

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Stephen Jones wants to talk you off the ledge.

If you're a Cowboys fan concerned by the sheer volume of losses on the defensive side of the ball, if you fret that the smattering of free agent signings and upcoming draft isn't enough to address these obvious shortcomings, the club's executive vice president offers this message:

"There is a little bit of method to the madness here.''

The strategy: think long and hard about signing a good player to a generous third contract, restraint the club exercised when it came to safety Barry Church and cornerback Brandon Carr. Offset key losses with "efficient signings'' -- corner Nolan Carroll and a safety Jones indicates will be added to the mix down the free agent road -- and dive deep into a draft that has the potential to shore up the Cowboys weaknesses.

"Right now, going into the draft, we feel really good about our numbers,'' Jones said Sunday a few hours before the NFL's annual meeting got underway. "But at the same time we feel this is going to be a great opportunity for us to improve on the defensive side of the ball.

"It just so happens we feel the draft is inordinately strong on the defensive side of the ball.''

The Cowboys have lost 10 players in the opening weeks of free agency. Seven of those defections have come on the defensive side of the ball. Five of those players started seven or more games for the team last season.

Jones respects those players and the contributions they made to a 13-3 record. He would have preferred to keep several of them. If the club had a little more cap room, the losses would probably have been reduced.

But if you were expecting an emotional farewell or internal doubts about whether the team has employed the proper strategy, you'll be disappointed.

"Players we want to keep, we keep them,'' Jones declared. "Most of these players, I'm not going to single out guys, but most of them we were ready to let move on.

"Now, there were a few if they would have been for the right price, we would have done it. But we certainly didn't want to get into overpaying for anybody.''

Church received a 4-year, $26 million deal from Jacksonville that guarantees him $12 million. Carr got a 4-year, $23 million deal from Baltimore that pays him $6 million this upcoming season.
Morris Claiborne got a 1-year deal for $5 million from the New York Jets.

"At the end of the day, we value our players,'' Jones said. "At certain numbers, it's efficient for us to sign them. At other numbers, it's not.''

Jones doesn't believe the secondary is compromised by losing four of its top six players. In his mind, the addition of Carroll leaves the group with three good corners and the chance to add another quality player or two in the draft. He likes how rookie Kavon Frazier progressed in his rookie season and is high on Jeff Heath, who at the moment will take Church's spot in the starting lineup.

"I think if you turn on the tape and watch that (Green Bay game), there are a lot of people who wonder why isn't that guy starting, you know, in terms of making plays on the ball and that type of thing?'' Jones said.

"Obviously we feel good about what Jeff can do.''

Jones concedes that signing players to a third contract, no matter how solid they've been in the case of Church and Carr, gives him pause. He called those tough decisions.

But he doesn't want this team to form an unhealthy dependence on free agency. The draft is the best way to infuse a team with young talent and keep costs down.

The emphasis now is the draft.

"There's no question,'' Jones said. "We think some of the best depth in the draft is the defensive line and the secondary in our view.

"Now let me be real clear. If a great offensive player shows up that's of great value to us, that doesn't mean we aren't going to pick an offensive player.

"But our focus is on defense.''
 

NoDak

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And this is why I have no problem with letting everyone go in our secondary that we did. People say we should have kept either Carr or Claiborne. Or Church. F that. None of them were worth what it would have took to keep them.

We have a young team, and if we have to take a step back to be able to take 3 forward, so be it. Beats the hell out of just treading in the same spot of the cesspool.
 

Cotton

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And this is why I have no problem with letting everyone go in our secondary that we did. People say we should have kept either Carr or Claiborne. Or Church. F that. None of them were worth what it would have took to keep them.

We have a young team, and if we have to take a step back to be able to take 3 forward, so be it. Beats the hell out of just treading in the same spot of the cesspool.
Yep, we have bitched for years about the Cowboys keeping players because they are familiar with them. Hell, "the roster is set" has been a common post around here for a very long time. It's nice to see some turnover. Let's just hope they take the second step correctly and fill the holes left behind by this purge.
 

NoDak

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Yep, we have bitched for years about the Cowboys keeping players because they are familiar with them. Hell, "the roster is set" has been a common post around here for a very long time. It's nice to see some turnover. Let's just hope they take the second step correctly and fill the holes left behind by this purge.
It is kind of funny to see people bitch about getting exactly what they were bitching for, though.
 

Cowboysrock55

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That's exactly right, you can't get better without change. I guess the only problem someone could have is that they wish we would have signed more free agents instead of waiting for the draft to build the defense.
 
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