‘Wrecked!’ Jerry Jones' Cowboys Wrong to 'Blame' Tyron Smith For Cap Controversy

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones preached an all-in mentality, only to let future Hall of Fame left tackle Tyron Smith leave in free agency. Who's to blame?

The Dallas Cowboys have had one of the more confusing offseasons in football. Despite owner Jerry Jones going out of his way to say the Cowboys are “all-in” on the 2024 season, they’ve pushed none of their chips toward the middle of the table.

After signing just a single outside free agent (linebacker Eric Kendricks) through the first two weeks of free agency, Dallas has remained silent regarding the open market. That includes letting some of their own test the waters and eventually find new homes.

None of its losses will loom as large as left tackle Tyron Smith, who—after more than a decade of Canton-worthy play—is off to the greener (turf) of MetLife Stadium.

Tyron Smith

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The New York Jets signed Smith to a one-year deal worth $20 million, though only the first $6.5 million is guaranteed. The rest can be earned through playing-time incentives and minor bonuses for a Pro Bowl selection and playoff success.

That contract, and the structure that allows a future Hall of Famer to see shockingly small guarantees, wouldn’t work for the Cowboys—at least according to Jones.

“You know how highly he is thought of by us. We can’t afford that. We can’t afford that,” Jones said. “If he makes all of these incentives and things like that, we would really be wrecked.”

“We” would have also witnessed a mostly healthy season from Smith, one that all but guarantees exceptional play at a high-value position. Instead, he’ll do his best to protect Aaron Rodgers.

Much like Jones’ negotiations with quarterback Dak Prescott, this is more of a problem with the Cowboys than it is poor contractual timing. Going all in means doing what’s necessary to keep one of the best players on the roster, especially when they aren’t getting paid at an exorbitant rate.

In fact, Jones’ fascination with playing hardball could be the biggest reason why Dallas is in this predicament. Good teams manage to work around cap constraints for their superstar quarterbacks all the time. Instead, the Cowboys have kicked the can down the road and kicked Smith out of town.

Per Over the Cap, a Prescott extension would have freed up to $22.2 million in cap space. For receiver CeeDee Lamb, an additional $13.5 million could be made available. Sure, that may make life difficult down the line, but those consequences may hurt a roster that already lacked the talent to win a Super Bowl. With Prescott, Lamb, and Hall of Fame offensive linemen, there’s a separate reality where the Cowboys can compete for a title.

Jones chose to go down a different path. If this offseason has been any indication, it will come back to bite him.