Austin Locked Up, Dallas Closes Pocketbook

The Dallas Cowboys’ pocketbook is officially closed after agreeing to terms with Miles Austin on a six-year, $54 million contract extension on Thursday, the result of a murky labor climate.

Austin, according to the Cowboys, will be the last player to receive an extension before the Players’ Association and owners agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, the timeframe for which is completely unknown. This means that, among others, Gerald Sensabaugh, Doug Free, Jason Hatcher and Marcus Spears will have to wait.

In a more traditional labor climate, vice president Stephen Jones said Thursday, the team would more readily re-sign talent; but as it stands, it’s impossible for the team to know the longterm ramifications of any potential signings, causing the Cowboys to balk at the idea. Austin was the exception, as a cornerstone of the team.

"We have a lot of guys up," said Cowboys’ executive vice president Stephen Jones, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "We can't do what we normally do and sign three or four other guys. Not knowing what the system is going to be is difficult. We have a lot of guys we are going to have to deal with when things get ironed out."

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