Jerry likes to lock up the talent
Signing Williams follows Jones' pattern of paying young stars
OXNARD, Calif. – This is the way owner Jerry Jones likes to do business. He likes signing young stars who haven't reached free agency to long-term deals that keep them with the Cowboys for most of their careers.
That's what he did in the '90s, when the Cowboys had teams filled with Pro Bowl performers that won three Super Bowl championships in four seasons.
Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Erik Williams and Leon Lett received long-term deals that allowed the Cowboys to keep their nucleus together. Then Jones added superstar free agent Deion Sanders to the mix.
Jones would like to take the same approach with this team.
Last week, the Cowboys signed tight end Jason Witten to a six-year contract worth $28 million. On Wednesday, Roy Williams signed a five-year deal worth $25.2 million.
Jones said he hopes to get a deal done soon with linebacker Bradie James. Next summer, it'll be cornerback Terence Newman's turn to get paid.
"When you look down the road, it's just the best way to get a deal done," Jones said. "It's always better to do it from within with players you know than to get out there and spend on free agents. You have to have some free agents, but we prefer signing our own guys.
"These are guys that I look at as cornerstones of the team. If I wasn't positive about them and the direction we're going, then I wouldn't be writing the checks."
It's a strategy NFC East rival Philadelphia has successfully used for several years. The Eagles had won five straight division championships and played in four consecutive NFC Championship games until last season.
"If you can afford to do it, it's good business," coach Bill Parcells said. "Sometimes it is cost prohibitive. The more of those you can make sure you keep, the better off you're going to be."
More important, it shows everyone on the team that the organization rewards its best players, creating a feel-good vibe within the locker room. And it eliminates some of the bad feelings that can occur once a player hits free agency.
Getting a deal done before a player reaches free agency requires compromise on both sides.
The player must take a little less than market value, and the team must pay more than it was scheduled to.
Getting two deals done before the season is the best indicator Jones and Parcells are optimistic about the Cowboys' direction, despite their 25-23 record the last two seasons. One of Parcells' goals since he arrived before the 2003 season was to position Dallas to be a force in the NFL long after he stops coaching.
That's how he left New England and the New York Jets.
Parcells drafted key contributors such as cornerback Ty Law and linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Willie McGinest and receiver Troy Brown and signed free-agent kicker Adam Vinatieri. All helped the Patriots win three of the last five Super Bowls.
Former coach Herman Edwards took the Jets to the playoffs with running back Curtis Martin, quarterback Chad Pennington and defensive ends John Abraham and Shaun Ellis, who were acquired when Parcells was either coach or general manager.
"That's what your job is," Parcells said. "It's your responsibility to try to improve the team both with players and character."
Then it's the owner's job to make sure they don't get away.
OXNARD, Calif. – This is the way owner Jerry Jones likes to do business. He likes signing young stars who haven't reached free agency to long-term deals that keep them with the Cowboys for most of their careers.
That's what he did in the '90s, when the Cowboys had teams filled with Pro Bowl performers that won three Super Bowl championships in four seasons.
Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Erik Williams and Leon Lett received long-term deals that allowed the Cowboys to keep their nucleus together. Then Jones added superstar free agent Deion Sanders to the mix.
Jones would like to take the same approach with this team.
Last week, the Cowboys signed tight end Jason Witten to a six-year contract worth $28 million. On Wednesday, Roy Williams signed a five-year deal worth $25.2 million.
Jones said he hopes to get a deal done soon with linebacker Bradie James. Next summer, it'll be cornerback Terence Newman's turn to get paid.
"When you look down the road, it's just the best way to get a deal done," Jones said. "It's always better to do it from within with players you know than to get out there and spend on free agents. You have to have some free agents, but we prefer signing our own guys.
"These are guys that I look at as cornerstones of the team. If I wasn't positive about them and the direction we're going, then I wouldn't be writing the checks."
It's a strategy NFC East rival Philadelphia has successfully used for several years. The Eagles had won five straight division championships and played in four consecutive NFC Championship games until last season.
"If you can afford to do it, it's good business," coach Bill Parcells said. "Sometimes it is cost prohibitive. The more of those you can make sure you keep, the better off you're going to be."
More important, it shows everyone on the team that the organization rewards its best players, creating a feel-good vibe within the locker room. And it eliminates some of the bad feelings that can occur once a player hits free agency.
Getting a deal done before a player reaches free agency requires compromise on both sides.
The player must take a little less than market value, and the team must pay more than it was scheduled to.
Getting two deals done before the season is the best indicator Jones and Parcells are optimistic about the Cowboys' direction, despite their 25-23 record the last two seasons. One of Parcells' goals since he arrived before the 2003 season was to position Dallas to be a force in the NFL long after he stops coaching.
That's how he left New England and the New York Jets.
Parcells drafted key contributors such as cornerback Ty Law and linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Willie McGinest and receiver Troy Brown and signed free-agent kicker Adam Vinatieri. All helped the Patriots win three of the last five Super Bowls.
Former coach Herman Edwards took the Jets to the playoffs with running back Curtis Martin, quarterback Chad Pennington and defensive ends John Abraham and Shaun Ellis, who were acquired when Parcells was either coach or general manager.
"That's what your job is," Parcells said. "It's your responsibility to try to improve the team both with players and character."
Then it's the owner's job to make sure they don't get away.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:33 PM
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