Maybe Dallas isn't the marquee free agency destination it was thought to be

The Dallas Cowboys may have missed out on another free agent signing in former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard. Quite frankly, Jerry Jones may have lost some of his mojo for drawing players in. Players used to flock to the Cowboys, but Leonard’s choice has reportedly come down to Dallas and division rival Philadelphia.

Another failed prediction for the Cowboys faithful. Leonard could also slip away like Odell Beckham Jr., Bobby Wagner, and Von Miller not long ago. Whether Jones meets with these free agents personally or with representatives, it feels like we’re seeing star players not sign with Dallas more often.

Sometimes Jerry passes, and other times they pass on Big D. We frequently hear about Dallas being a free-agent destination, which it has been at times. Still, players have often been more inclined to seek employment elsewhere over the past few years if there’s another option.

We know Jones loves his players, sometimes to a fault. Then, other times, he flat out makes the wrong decision, like when he brought in Greg Hardy after his alleged domestic violence incident in which there were pictures of his victim. That should be one Jones regrets for obvious reasons aside from the fact that Hardy was washed when he arrived in Dallas.

What used to seem like a sure thing has become a toss-up for Jones’ franchise. There was a time when it felt like all big-name free agents wanted to land in Dallas if possible. Whether that was ever true is debatable, but it was always the illusion of such. The narrative was that if Jones wanted ‘em he could make it happen. That may have been the case twenty years ago, but Jones has focused much more on drafting and developing players over the past decade.

Ever since Brandon Carr bamboozled Jones out of $50 million, it’s felt like he’s been more cautious about shelling out big cash to free agents. There’s nothing wrong with being conscious and wanting to operate within the salary cap, but that strategy seems to have caused the Cowboys to miss out on more than one occasion. From the outside looking in it feels like that approach is about to cost the Cowboys another signing that would add depth to an already stellar defense.