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Stephen Jones' Comments on Paying QBs Are Senseless Based on What Cowboys Did With Ezekiel Elliott

By Scott Rogust

Stephen Jones says analytics are the reason why they won't pay Dak Prescott. But this is the same team that threw the bank at Ezekiel Elliott.
Stephen Jones says analytics are the reason why they won't pay Dak Prescott. But this is the same team that threw the bank at Ezekiel Elliott. / Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

No matter how much the Dallas Cowboys improved their roster in free agency and the NFL Draft this offseason, they just can't escape from the much-discussed Dak Prescott contract negotiations. Many are unhappy with Prescott for his financial demands, while others are raising their pitchforks at the Cowboys organization for not paying the former fourth-round pick what he's earned.

Stephen Jones, Cowboys' vice president, didn't do himself any favors by telling Pro Football Talk that analytics proves that paying the quarterback takes up a significant portion of their cap space and thereby decreases their chances to win.

But this is the very same team that paid out of their butts for running back Ezekiel Elliott, after all.

First of all, giving your quarterback a new contract will automatically leeave you cap-strapped for the foreseeable future. That's just how today's NFL works. The market has already been set, and no team is going to un-set it. But most importantly, Jones shouldn't be claiming there's wisdom in being miserly after Dallas signed Elliott to his new deal last year.

Dallas selected Elliott with the fourth overall pick in 2016, the kind of reach that is now frowned upon no matter how good the running back is. But after three years, Elliott held out last preseason so he could cash in on a new deal while he still can, as rushers have notoriously short shelf lives in the league. The Jones family acted like the tough guys, pretending Elliott didn't even exist.

But once the regular season inched closer, the Cowboys came crawling back to Zeke on their hands and knees, and handed him a massive six-year, $90 million contract.

Yes, Elliott tallied over 1,300 rushing yards last season, but did he single-handedly help the Cowboys clinch a playoff berth? No!

For an NFL team to succeed, they need to have a good quarterback and ensure that he's on the roster long-term. While Prescott isn't necessarily an elite signal caller, he's still damn good and has earned the right to make quality quarterback money.

Stephen Jones, if you're seriously apprehensive about paying Prescott, just pull the franchise tag off of him and start Andy Dalton in 2020. Just save us the circus you and your father like to put us through every single year.