He may be the odd man out in getting big money from the Dallas Cowboys in free agency
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones is no different than quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver Amari Cooper when it comes to his goals in free agency.
He wants to return to the Cowboys but he said his main goal is to maximize his earning potential.
As the top-rated cornerback on the market, he is in line for a huge pay day, similar to Prescott and Cooper, who also top their positions in free agency.
The difference is that Prescott and Cooper are considered bigger priorities for the Cowboys, making Jones likely the odd man out when it comes to how the team plans to spend their dollars in free agency.
“Byron is a guy we think a lot of,” vice president Stephen Jones said at the NFL scouting combine. “He’s had a great run at corner. He’s played really well and played at a high level. That’s the hard thing when you have quite a few good players on your football team.
“Byron understands that but at the same time, he’s worried about Byron, as he should be,” Jones continued. “Certainly we’ll continue [and] visit with his guys while we’re here.”
The Cowboys would like to keep Jones but acknowledged it is going to be difficult to keep everyone — especially with Prescott and Cooper lobbying for annual contracts in excess of $35 million and $18 million, respectively.
Jones could get $14 million on the open market and at age 27 this could be his last big pay day.
He would like to stay in Dallas but he has no plans of giving the team a hometown discount.
If the Cowboys lose Jones in free agency, it will only add to their defensive needs.
The Cowboys are already openly looking for help at defensive end, defensive tackle and safety. The loss of Jones could put the cornerback position at the top of the list in an offseason that will be heavily focused on defense once the Prescott and Cooper situations are settled.
“In general, defense is the priority for this offseason,” Stephen Jones said. “Whether it’s getting some our own guys back or whether it’s free agency or whether it’s the draft, if you look at our roster obviously most of our offensive roster are either under contract or are going to have restrictions to where we’re going to have a great opportunity to keep them.”
This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 11:56 AM.
