Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones doesn’t anticipate the team making a big splash in free agency this offseason and, speaking from the Combine in Indianapolis this week, he explained why.
“I’m not a big fan of free agency; I’ll be the first to admit it,” Jones told said, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Unfortunately, good players get paid like they’re great players, average players get paid like they’re good players and it’s a domino effect. It’s not a great way to put your team together.”
Last year, the Cowboys went out and signed Greg Hardy, but he came at a discount. Other than him, their biggest signing was running back Darren McFadden, who went on to rush for 1,000 yards for the Cowboys, but didn’t exactly cause a frenzy on the open market.
“You never say never,” Jones said. “I think sometimes there are necessities that you need to jump out and do some things. Hopefully you’re not really needing to have something that you’re paying a good player like he’s a great player. We’ve done it before. It doesn’t mean we won’t do it ever again, but you try not to. Obviously you’d like to build your team through the draft and keep your players that hopefully you drafted well and keep those type of players so we’re not out there in free agency.”
