Jerry Jones has managed to quiet one of the Cowboys’ usual offseason headaches, and that alone makes this summer feel a little different in Dallas.
For a franchise that lives under the brightest spotlight in sports, the Cowboys have made a habit of turning the offseason into a soap opera. Contract standoffs have been part of the scenery for years.
Micah Parsons’ situation became one of the biggest examples in Jones’ run, with a deal saga ending in Parsons leaving Dallas for the Green Bay Packers. Back in 1993, Emmitt Smith even sat out the first two games of the season because of a contract dispute.
Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb also had their own tense offseasons, though both were eventually resolved.
This year, though, the Cowboys have avoided that familiar mess. Instead of bracing for a holdout that could drag into the regular season, the team’s biggest concern was George Pickens and whether he would land a long-term deal.
That never happened. Pickens signed the $27.3 million franchise tag, which looked like the cleanest outcome for both sides given that he still has something to prove before getting a bigger commitment.
The important part for Dallas is that Pickens showed up for mandatory minicamp. That wiped away the fear of a prolonged absence and pointed toward him being on the field in Week 1. A long-term deal could still come later, but for now the Cowboys are treating this as another prove-it year.
Pickens wasn’t the only key piece to get sorted out. Brandon Aubrey eventually signed a contract extension, even if it didn’t seem like that was guaranteed for a stretch.
For Jones, that was an easy call. Aubrey has already broken NFL and franchise records, and the hometown kid from Plano has established himself as one of the best kickers in the game.
Javonte Williams also got rewarded after breaking out last season, with Jones giving him a contract extension of his own.
The biggest offseason concern now sits on defense, where the Cowboys appear to have done enough to address what was arguably the worst defense in franchise history last season. More importantly, the work has largely been handled in-house, which means there doesn’t seem to be much noise left to deal with.
For once, the Cowboys are heading toward camp without the usual cloud of contract drama hanging over everything. That’s not nothing for a team that has spent years fighting the same anti-Cowboys narrative.
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