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By Jon Machota Mar 11, 2021
FRISCO, Texas — For the first time since the start of training camp last August, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones answered questions from reporters in a news conference on Wednesday. There was a significant reason for this gathering of reporters, the first time speaking with Jones in person since last year’s annual February scouting combine.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was center stage at The Star as the event was being held to officially announce his four-year, $160 million contract. For one hour and 18 minutes, the three answered questions about everything from how the deal got done to how the Cowboys plan to fix one of the NFL’s worst defenses from a year ago. Prescott’s agent, Todd France, also took questions for a few minutes after the news conference.
Here are 20 items to get you caught up on everything that was covered.
1. Ankle update. Wednesday was the first time Prescott has been interviewed since Oct. 8, three days before he suffered the gruesome season-ending ankle injury against the New York Giants. The Cowboys quarterback was not wearing a walking boot or using crutches on Wednesday. He didn’t have a limp or show any signs of having experienced such a significant setback. Of course, that doesn’t mean much compared to actually playing in an NFL game.
Prescott declined to share an exact time of when he expects to be back to 100 percent. It shouldn’t be a surprise if he’s not a full participant in organized team activities or minicamp. Training camp will tell the bigger picture. Judging by his comments, Prescott expects to be ready Week 1.
“I’m healthy,” he said. “I’m getting close. I’ll be ready when it matters.”
2. Dak on his contract. It’s understandable if Prescott had doubts over the last two years that he’d eventually get the new contract he was seeking. He said Wednesday that he always believed it would eventually happen. Not only is the deal the largest the Cowboys have ever given to a player, the $160 million total is $20 million more than Jerry Jones paid for the franchise in 1989. As Jones said Wednesday, “That was then, this is now.”
“I’m a man who stands by faith and lives by that,” Prescott said, “So a lot of people will say, ‘Hey, you gambled. You did this and you did that when you could have taken that.’ But in this world, you get everything out of what you put into it. I just know from a little boy, falling in love with this game to where I am now, this love has grown further. I’ve put a lot into it and I’ve got a lot more to give. So with that being said, I never had any doubt that I wouldn’t be here, that this deal would get done, and be right for the both of us and be right for the organization. I’m just thankful.”
3. Agent’s perspective. Todd France’s name has become a common one among Cowboys fans since Prescott switched from agent Jeff Guerriero to France in the summer of 2018. While Prescott’s contract has been one of the biggest NFL stories for the last two seasons, very little information has come from France. He rarely talks on the record to reporters. But he did on Wednesday, sharing his perspective on why he doesn’t publicly share updates while negotiations are in progress.
“My whole theory is just I would rather be in the background and try not to make it a media circus, more than it already was without me speaking,” France said. “I had to bite my tongue for two years. I do have a list of some people I want to call, and I will do that because some of the things that were said were just so out of line and not accurate. It’s frustrating because what am I going to do, come out and win the battle and lose the war? ‘Jerry said this, but that’s not true.’ There’s no value in that to me. At the end of the day, I’m not trying to win a media battle, I’m trying to negotiate a contract the best I can for the player and get him what he deserves. And that’s ultimately what we did.”
Dak Prescott (Tim Heitman / USA Today)
4. What was the second surgery all about? Prescott had surgery on his right ankle within hours after he suffered the dislocation and compound fracture on Oct. 11. He had a second surgery on the ankle about two months later. Prescott said Wednesday that the second operation was something that was discussed immediately after the first. It was a type of cleanup procedure needed to make the ankle more structurally stable.
“Obviously the first surgery, with an open wound, you want to get that and eliminate any risk of infection,” he explained. “So, that’s all that was for the most part, and then we got a month or so down the road, and said, ‘You know, it would be best if we went in there and did do that now.’ So that 10 years, 15 years, I can be playing still, and not have to deal with something bothering me eight years or whatever, the short period of time. We might as well knock it down and get it straight now while I’m already missing games, already missing time. So, that was obviously the thought behind that, and that’s what happened. And it was needed.
“I feel great. Obviously, you saw me walk out here. The things that I’m doing now, the things that I did this morning, the stuff I couldn’t do two days ago. So, that’s the fun part about it, and that’s the eagerness that I have to get back out there tomorrow and see what I can do tomorrow that I couldn’t do today.”
5. Will the injury change his playing style? Prescott suffered the injury on a 9-yard run as he was fighting for extra yards while being tackled by Giants defensive back Logan Ryan. Don’t expect the Cowboys quarterback to completely stop running the ball, but he noted Wednesday that he has to be smarter in those situations, something coaches have expressed to him throughout his career.
“Back in the day as a young bull, I guess it was very hard to understand,” he said. “Now, I mean on a play like that, first down, you’re going down. You’re sliding. But to say that the game’s on the line, it’s a first down or it’s the red zone and I’m going there, that’s who I am. I don’t know if I can ever tone that down, and if I do then y’all are changing who I am. But there are certain plays, there are certain times that I’ll be a much smarter player and decide when to not use my physicality during the run, just taking care of myself. The best ability is durability, and I have to be there for my team.”
6. Alex Smith’s impact. Prescott specifically mentioned last season’s NFL Comeback Player of the Year while discussing his mindset throughout his rehabilitation. Smith suffered a similar leg injury in 2018, but also experienced severe complications from infection that ultimately led to 17 surgeries in a nine-month period.
“I have to thank Alex Smith, honestly,” Prescott said, “because at that moment, when you’re sitting there with that injury or you come out of surgery, to see somebody who has already done it and did it in actually worse circumstances, that allowed my mind to just go to, ‘I can do this. I’m going to beat this, it’s just a matter of time. Whatever the doctor is saying, but I am going to beat this.’ So I have to thank Alex.”
Smith played in eight games for Washington last season, starting six. The 36-year-old is an unrestricted free agent, looking to continue playing in 2021. The Cowboys could make some sense if Smith was looking to be a backup. Andy Dalton, Dallas’ backup last season, is expected to find better opportunities on the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy was San Francisco’s offensive coordinator when the 49ers drafted Smith in 2005. Smith’s QB coach at Utah was Dan Mullen, who was Prescott’s head coach at Mississippi State. In a video sent by players to Smith after he won the Comeback Player of the Year award, Prescott called Smith a “huge inspiration” for how he was able to overcome his injury.
7. Some details about this photo. Immediately after the news broke Monday afternoon that the Cowboys and Prescott had agreed to a new contract, Prescott’s brother, Tad, posted this photo on Twitter.
The Cowboys quarterback explained Wednesday that his mother, Peggy, who died in 2013, and his brother, Jace, who died last April, were in their thoughts at that moment.
“That was a very special moment,” Prescott said. “I was actually looking at that picture today and just thinking that I don’t know if the world knows what that moment was truly about. That moment was truly about my mom and my brother. As we were sitting there overcome with emotions and excitement. I felt my mom and my brother as much as I do now. Right there in that moment and as I told Tad, ‘They are here. This is for all of us. Give me a hug.’ We jumped up. We hugged. That is everything we have been through. There are not many people in this world who know where I started and to where I am now but also know my beliefs and where I know I’m going to go. And that’s Tad. That is my dad as well. That was just a special moment, very emotional. A lot of hard work coming together, but just knowing it’s the start and beginning to even greater things.”
8. More pressure. As if there isn’t already a lot of pressure on whoever is the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, there’s even more when that player becomes the highest-paid in franchise history. Does that change anything for Prescott?
“No, not for me,” he said. “Pressure is privilege. And I am privileged to have it. I am privileged that this organization believes in me. They put their faith in me. If you know me, you know who I am, I walk every day with faith and what I believe in. My expectations are so, so high. I believe my expectations for myself are higher than anybody’s out there. All this contract does is raise those expectations for everyone else. I think higher expectations create higher results. I am all for it. I am excited. It’s a privilege to have this pressure.”
9. Jerry’s inside information. Was Jerry Jones more willing to give in on Prescott’s contract demands because he knows exactly what’s coming down the road in terms of increased league revenue? It certainly sounded that way on Wednesday. Jones seems very aware of the dollars that are about to be made thanks to new TV deals and legalized sports betting.
“I read someplace, ‘Well, Jerry has a good feel for where they’re going to be on their contracts and that’s the biggest sign you’ve got, he just signed Dak to a record contract,’” the Cowboys owner and general manager said. “Well, so be it. Yes. Exactly, I do feel good about the future. I feel great about our future. I don’t mind telling you the main reason I feel great is the guy (Prescott) sitting right next door to me right here.”
Jones later added, “We’ve got as good a feel for trying to read the tea leaves about where the future is. Guess what, what really counts is what we’re here announcing today. And if you don’t think that that isn’t an indication of where we think the tea leaves are and where the future is, you misread this today. That’s where it is.”
10. Contract restructures. This is nothing new for the Cowboys. They routinely restructure deals of their highest-paid players to create more salary-cap space for the upcoming season. They restructured the deals belonging to defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, left tackle Tyron Smith and right guard Zack Martin last year to free up roughly $27 million in cap space.
Sources said Wednesday that they have restructured the contracts of Smith, Martin and right tackle La’el Collins to create roughly $17 million in salary-cap space for this upcoming season. This doesn’t mean the Cowboys will all of sudden be big spenders in free agency, but they at least have some room under the cap to fill a few holes before next month’s NFL draft.
11. Other roster updates. The Cowboys released veteran fullback Jamize Olawale on Wednesday and signed defensive lineman Ron’Dell Carter, who they signed as an undrafted rookie free agent last year.
Jerry Jones declined to say if Smith and Collins will be 100 percent for OTAs and minicamp, but he said, “the expectation is for them to be there in training camp.”
Collins missed the entire 2020 season because of a hip injury. Smith missed 14 games because of neck issues. Both players ended had surgery. The Cowboys would not have restructured their contracts if they had serious concerns about their availability for the upcoming season.
12. Compensatory picks. As expected, the Cowboys received a league-high four compensatory picks after losing cornerback Byron Jones, defensive end Robert Quinn, wide receiver Randall Cobb, defensive tackle Maliek Collins, safety Jeff Heath, tight end Jason Witten and offensive guard Xavier Su’a-Filo in free agency last year.
Dallas now has 10 picks in this year’s draft. The four compensatory picks are No. 99 overall (third round), No. 138 (fourth round), No. 178 (fifth round) and No. 226 (sixth round).
13. Training camp in Oxnard. Jerry Jones said the Cowboys are going back to California for training camp this year. The team held camp at The Star last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only is the weather far more preferable in southern California that time of year, but working in Oxnard, Calif., also provides the Cowboys with two grass fields. They only have one grass field at The Star. McCarthy prefers to have his teams work on the grass because it reduces the chances of injury.
14. Full capacity at home games. Jerry Jones also shared that he expects the Cowboys to play in front of full capacity crowds at AT&T Stadium in the fall.
The Cowboys led the NFL in attendance during the pandemic. No home game had fewer than 21,700 fans. The last four home games each had more than 30,000 fans in attendance. AT&T Stadium holds around 80,000 fans but that number can climb to over 100,000 with standing-room-only areas.
“We’re going to have that stadium full, and we’re going to do it safe,” Jones said. “We had the most out there last year. We’re going to do it safe.”
Dak Prescott and Jerry Jones on Wednesday (Jon Machota / The Athletic)
15. Are the Cowboys the best in the NFC East? The question was asked to Stephen Jones, but Prescott quickly jumped in.
“Yes,” Prescott said.
Stephen Jones: “Absolutely.”
Having secured their franchise quarterback, the Cowboys look to have the edge on paper. But that was also the case the last two years as Dallas ended up 8-8 and then 6-10.
16. Still some pie left. The Cowboys have often referred to the amount of pie they have in regards to their salary-cap space. Signing Prescott takes up a significant piece, but they are confident there’s still some remaining.
“There’s (pie) left,” Jerry Jones said. “We have our plans, and I’ll assure you there’s (pie) left.”
17. Whatever is left probably needs to be used on the defense. The majority of significant investments have been made on offense, from Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott to wide receiver Amari Cooper and along the offensive line with Smith, Collins and Martin. Lawrence and linebacker Jaylon Smith are the only significant investments on defense.
“We do believe we can manage through this and really improve our defense,” Stephen Jones said. “Obviously the heart and soul of any team is the draft. I think we got one of the best in the business in (vice president of player personnel) Will McClay and his scouting group. They’re going to do a tremendous job I think of helping us find defensive players. Now you got to be open minded or you don’t get CeeDee Lamb if he happens to be sitting there. At the same time, I think through the draft is obviously a great way for us to improve our team when it comes to the cap.
“I think we got the resources to do under the cap what we need to do to put a defense out there with Dak and the offense to be a championship team.”
18. Dan Quinn. The team’s new defensive coordinator has not yet been made available to reporters. Wednesday marked the first public comments from the Cowboys’ front office about the former Atlanta Falcons head coach who was hired in January after Mike Nolan was fired.
“We’ve already taken a major step with Dan Quinn,” Stephen Jones said. “I think he’s going to be very special. When we did our diligence, figuring it out with Coach McCarthy and Jerry and myself, what he would be like as a defensive coordinator, it was nothing but rave reviews. His players want to lay it on the line for him. They want to play hard for him.
“I think we’ve got a lot of great players on defense, whether it’s DeMarcus Lawrence, whether it’s Leighton Vander Esch or Jaylon Smith, whether it’s a Randy Gregory, who is up-and-coming. Young guys like (Neville) Gallimore and Trysten Hill. There’s a lot to work with there, and I think he’s going to get it out of them. I think he’s going to put a system in where they can play hard and fast and confident in what they’re doing.
“And then if we go do our work in the offseason in terms of improving it, I think we’re going to check that box. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of confidence in the offensive side of the ball, the special teams. And as Dak said, the most important thing of all is the culture. When those guys walk out there, they’ve got to believe that they’re going to win the game. I think that’s going to happen.”
Jerry Jones was most impressed by Quinn’s resume. Before coaching the Falcons, Quinn was Seattle’s defensive coordinator as the Seahawks went to back-to-back Super Bowls, winning in 2013.
“Quinn, in my view, has some great skins on the wall,” he said. “He’s got great experience. He is people-skilled. When you’re around him, you’ll see that. He’s certainly a dedicated football coach, and he’s covered a lot of ground. We have a lot of tape, so to speak, if you were talking about a player. We’ve got really a lot of information to look at to decide how he fits us. He was absolutely perfect for us in this situation to come in here. He’ll be extraordinarily influential in how we put together our personnel on defense. I think he’s got that kind of credibility.”
19. Working for a parade. That’s what Prescott explained as his ultimate goal after being asked what would have happened last year if he didn’t get hurt.
“We obviously won that game I was in,” he said. “We were going to win the next one and the one after that and so on until we would be celebrating a Super Bowl here in Dallas. Obviously that’s my plan and that’s to get a parade in Dallas.
“The next big press conference we’re going to have is hopefully in another year after that big parade.”
20. Other notable quotes from Jerry Jones.
Jones while sitting next to Prescott at the news conference: “I will tell you this, if there’s a human breathing that I’ve ever met that I’m proud took advantage of me financially, I’m proud it’s the one sitting to the right.”
Jones on Prescott’s critics: “I’d kill somebody if they put me through what guys go through in the draft when they look at their backgrounds and check every neighbor, every friend they ever had. I’d shoot somebody if they did that information on me. Dak gets that kind of scrutiny.”
Jones on Super Bowl aspirations: “This is a big day. It sets a tone for where we’re going over the next many years. This gentleman (Prescott) can be playing 10 years from now and playing at a high, high level. And we’re going to put this thing together in a way that allows us to get in the big one and win a big one.”
