Cowboys VP Stephen Jones 'holding money back' to re-sign big-ticket stars

All-in can be relative, or at least the meaning applies in different ways according to Cowboys senior vice president Stephen Jones.

From Jones' front office seat, he still views the Cowboys as all-in for 2024 despite passive spending in free agency, Jones said in a radio interview with 105.3 FM The Fan on Tuesday.

"We spend max, max money year in and year out. All 32 can only spend the same amount of money over a five-year stretch," Jones said. "When we're all said and done, we max out our salary cap every year. We will have done that. What comes with having a good roster, which we do, we're also looking towards signing our own guys.

"It doesn't mean it happens overnight. But when you're wanting to sign players like Dak (Prescott) and Micah (Parsons) and CeeDee (Lamb), then you have to hold money back if you want to have a realistic chance of signing those guys."

Prescott is entering the final year of a four-year, $160 million contract. His deal could be the most pressing because of the paved exit the terms of the deal would provide the 30-year-old.

Lamb is an option for the franchise tag next spring after he plays the 2024 season on a fifth-year option. But after setting a franchise record for receptions in an All-Pro season, Lamb plans to skip voluntary workouts as the market value for wide receivers continues to climb.

Waiting might not help in the case of Parsons, either. He's under contract for 2024 and the Cowboys hold a team option for his fifth season in 2025.

But the new rate for high-end pass rushers was reset in offseason deals for Brian Burns (five years, $87.5 million guaranteed, $141.5 million with the New York Giants) and Josh Allen (five years, $141.25 million, up to $88 million guaranteed).

Owner Jerry Jones said at the NFL owners meetings in March that Prescott's contract would be discussed with the understanding that the size of deals for Super Bowl-capable quarterbacks will impact the team's salary cap for the next "five years."

Reading between the lines, the Cowboys are likely to ask Prescott to carry more weight with less proven talent around him.

As for Stephen Jones, he still sees the franchise as being all-in on 2024.

"Everybody has their own definition of what that means, but I've never not known us to be all-in, nor have I known anyone we compete against not to be all-in," he said.

—Field Level Media