It became obvious long ago that the Cowboys wouldn’t be able to keep Byron Jones. With Amari Cooper and Dak Prescott also having their contracts expire after the 2019 season, Dallas had to set its priorities.
The priority wasn’t Jones.
The Cowboys instead used the franchise tag on their star quarterback and signed their star receiver to a five-year, $100 million deal.
Jones left for Miami, signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract.
But in a conference call with Dolphins writers Thursday, the cornerback said he thinks the Cowboys’ lack of interest in re-signing him had more to do with the other players the team has at the position than the money they don’t have.
“I don’t think so,” Jones said when asked if Cooper and Prescott’s returns was the reason he didn’t. “One thing that the Dallas Cowboys do a really good job at is drafting good, young players, and they have a whole bunch of good corners on that team – no question about that – and those guys will be just fine without me. But they believe strongly in the way they draft, and they’ve shown over the years they draft some freaking ballers no matter [if it is the] first round, seventh round, guys in between. They draft and develop really good players, so I don’t think the Dak and Amari’s situation had any effect on me. I think it’s their confidence in the people that they have on the roster now and who they’re going to get in the draft hopefully.”
Chidobe Awuzie, Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis are the team’s top three corners, with Dallas also expected to address the position in the draft.