Jerry Jones Didn't Delay Quinnen Williams’s Huge Contract

Another thing that happened while, uh, while you were away that we didn't get a chance to talk about is the Quinnin Williams deal.

And I think that this is interesting for two reasons, and I'll tell you why.

The first is that Jerry getting this done on time, right, and being proactive about it, he kind of had to, given what he gave up for Quinnin Williams, right?

You can't, it's different than the Micah Parsons situation where you're drafting him.

And then you're getting draft capital to let him go.

Quinnin Williams, he traded draft capital for him.

You have to sign this guy, um , to a longer-term deal.

But, um, I, I remember doing a huge magazine piece about Jerry's negotiating tactics, the way that he gets deals done.

It doesn't always come down to the wire if he gets what he wants.

And I think the fact that Quinnin, was not trying to reset the defensive tackle market.

If you look at the APY he comes in at 0.01 basically above Jeffrey Simmons.

So it's between Jeffrey Simmons and, and Jaylen Carter.

Um, this was as clean as clean can get.

Um, I, I'm not gonna say that Quinnin left money on the table, but I am gonna say that like it was the perfect storm where Jerry was getting beat up for not signing his guys.

Um, Quinnin comes up and says, hey, I don't need to reset the tackle market.

And, um, and, and then you're in this position where, yes, it looks horrible optically if you don't get a deal done with this guy.

Yeah, I mean, it's, this one's sort of simple.

Uh, I mean, he's, he, you had him in the building for half the year last year.

Um, he was a team captain with the Jets.

I think he's got maybe a chance to be a team captain with Dallas.

We'll see how that plays out, um, and really like when you're there and you're talking to them about how they've reworked their locker room and they've changed some things around.

Like the biggest thing that comes up, and I think I said this to, to you on a show over the last couple of weeks.

I don't know, everything's melting together now, but it They made such a concerted effort to.

Really lean in to what.

Shotty said about wanting to build the best culture in professional sports and so.

Like you hear Jalen Thompson comes from Arizona.

Um, they draft Caleb Downs.

They, they, they get Kenny Clarke from the Packers, and Quentin Williams is part of that, like just bringing in guys that are good, solid pros that can be like the, the nucleus of your locker room.

And so what you're doing by by, by, by re-upping him is basically reaffirming to everyone, um, this is one of our guys now.

And so there's value in that too.

I, I, I think it's, it's pretty much a no-brainer.

You, you still have, um, I think it's, he had 2 years left on his deal, right?

So having the 2 years left gives you a chance to manage the money from a cap standpoint a little bit more.

Um, and now you go forward and there's no problem.

I think a lot of people would probably look at this and say, why weren't they this proactive with Micah?

I'm just not sure.

That Micah fit into what they were trying to build the same way that Quentin does, from a culture standpoint.

It is interesting, right, though, that you basically have two different schools of thought, and I need a full healthy Micah Parsons season before I can judge that and, and judge who's right and wrong.

But it's, if you talk to people around the league, there are two kind of divergent opinions on this.

And, and listen, don't get me wrong, no one's gonna say, I don't want Miles Garrett and I don't want You know, Micah Parsons, like, if he's available, you take him.

Um, but from a roster building standpoint, I think that there are coaches out there that are like, give me what the Seahawks have.

Give me 3 or 4 guys that You know, are maybe not as good at the top end as Micah Parsons, but can all do different stuff and we can kind of roleplay this thing out and piecemeal it together, but I, I like the identity of, you know, 3 or 4 guys that aren't making a ton of money, that will play a different style together and kind of more in service of one another.

And then there are other coaches that are like, no, man, like, Micah Parsons, when he's in a game, You know, whatever.

He impacts it so quickly that we're causing more turnovers.

He's doing this because we're getting that.

Miles Garrett's doing this, and so I know what direction the other team is running in.

And there really are kind of two schools of thought of this, and maybe it's that coaches are eternally optimistic and it's, you know, I'm with you.

It's also like that position.

It's sort of like, and for one reason or another, I mean, Lawrence Taylor wasn't winning any Man of the Year awards, you know what I mean?

Like, you're kidding.

I mean, it's just sort of that position, so it can be what you sign up for sometimes.

I mean, even like Von Miller, who I think is a a good guy, he was very different, you know what I mean?

Like, so, uh, there's arguments both ways on that, and it's not like you can't win with a player like that, but I think part of it is.

OK, like if I'm gonna put my money where my mouth is.

I, the, the, the best players in the team need to be this way.

Doesn't mean we can't take risks because God knows George Pickens is a risk, you know what I mean?

Like, but nobody was asking George Pickens to be like the, the head of the table.

Um, like voice of the locker room, because of Micah Parsons' level of play, because he is such a great player, he naturally ascended into that, which puts him in a different position and changes the equation.

Yeah.

Yeah, I You, uh, I think had the quote from Dak Prescott.

Um, I appreciated it because I was getting my ass hung out to dry after my, um, uh, all 272 predictions that I had Dallas winning 12 games.

I think that, I mean, Seeing them upfront in training camp.

I know we talked about it quickly.

Um, but as you've gone to other teams, you've gotten that perspective.

You talked to Dak a little bit more in depth.

Where are you at on this team?

I mean, following the Quinnin extension, I mean, everything's good with George Pickens right now cause he's gotta be good to get that long-term deal.

Like, I don't know.

I, do, do you feel like this is a, Potential 1213 win Super Bowl contender team.

I think that division is wide open.

Um, I, I've, I've said this, I think Philly levels off a little bit.

Um, I don't think they're gonna fall off the table, but I think that division is relatively wide open.

I think with Dallas, the important thing is they stay healthy.

I, I just think depth could be an issue in, in a bunch of different spots.

You know, corner, it's fair to ask questions, edge, it's fair to ask questions.

Um, left tackle, it's fair to ask questions.

But I think if they get those things in order and they stay healthy.

They've got a chance.

Um, and I think I said this a couple of weeks to you, but it's like I think they almost view themselves as the reverse Texans, you know, like where the Texans, if they can just be pretty good on offense, like they got a chance to get to a Super Bowl.

I think Dallas feels that way.

If Christian Parker can make that kind of difference, if Rashaw Gary and, and Donovan Ezaraku um can be the answers on the edge, if Kobe Durant and Duron Duron Bland can do the same thing in corner.

Uh, you know, now, I think you're talking about a team that's got a chance to compete with the top teams in the NFC and there's still a couple of teams I think above before them, you know, when it comes to like, who's the most likely to make it.

Um, but I, you know, I, I, I think that, I think the talent, the, the, the frontline talent, like the, the, the top layer of talent is there.

Um , but talent's never been an issue in Dallas, Connor, I mean, that's, that's the, that's the interesting thing about like the argument about Jerry is the GM and everything else.

It's been a long time since talent's been a problem in Dallas.

True.