ESPN Blog: Jerry expresses love for Miles Austin

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

DANA POINT, Calif. -- After a three-hour stakeout that took several twists and turns, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spoke with the Beast -- and a handful of other reporters.

There were several economic questions that a lot of you won't care about, so let's quickly skip to the good part. For the first time since his surprising decision to release T.O., Jones admitted that he made the move because he thought it would make Tony Romo a better quarterback. He said he never sought input from Romo while deciding what to do with T.O, but in the end, he thought the combination of Roy Williams and Miles Austin was a more appealing option.

That's when my ears really perked up. Jones has talked about Austin's potential in the past, but on Tuesday he indicated that the undrafted wide receiver was already in T.O.'s league.

"If [Austin's] close, then you're ahead of the game," said Jones.

I then asked Jones if he truly thought Austin could be as good as T.O., which quite honestly, sounded absurd to me.

"I certainly think he has a chance to be or I would've never released Terrell."

This was a whole new angle for Jones. So far, we'd heard him talk about how Williams was poised to have a breakout season once he had an entire offseason with the club. Now, he apparently thinks Miles Austin is a Pro Bowler in waiting.

Lots more to come on Tony Romo, including a classic quote from Jones regarding his quarterback's private life. Chew on this stuff and I'll return in a little bit.