Stephen Jones: New kicker? Offensive needs and more

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Every time NFL owners get together, there’s always big news to discuss.

Not only are there rule changes that need votes, but it’s also the time of year when team executives discuss the free-agent movement and prepare for the draft.

On Tuesday, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones addressed all of that and more.

Here are some highlights from his media interview session.

• What’s left for the Cowboys to tackle in free agency? The kicker position, for example, according to Jones. The club was hoping to re-sign Greg Zuerlein to a new contract, but he ended up signing with the Jets. The Cowboys have former SMU kicker Chris Naggar on a Reserve/Future deal, but would also like to sign a veteran.
• The “overall offensive line” could also be a free-agent focus before the NFL Draft. “In order for us to keep our draft pure, we’d like to have a player or two in there so we don’t feel pressured to go too high early and if the right player isn’t there,” Jones said. The Cowboys have a hole at left guard due to the departure of Connor Williams via free agency and there is no established backup tackle who is under contract at this time, although 2021 fourth-round pick Josh Ball , could be a candidate for the swing tackle job.
• Jones, a member of the NFL’s competition committee, weighed in on the league’s new postseason overtime rules that give both teams offensive possession. “I think everyone saw that incredible Bills-Chiefs football game and I think he yelled for us to consider a second possession,” Jones said. “Especially in overtime, you look at the data and the stats, the teams that win the toss (since 2010), they’re 10-2, whoever wins the toss in the playoffs.”
• The Cowboys begin their formal draft meetings Monday, and Jones says this year’s draft looks “very deep” because many prospects stayed in college last year with an additional season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. . “A lot of numbers in this draft, and it’s a good time to have nine picks,” Jones said.
• The Cowboys had a defensive-minded draft in 2021, with eight of 11 picks dedicated to that side of the ball. Could this year be a draft that has to do more with the offensive end? Jones wouldn’t say exactly that, but he did acknowledge that the club has seen the departure of players at wide receiver, tight end and offensive line this offseason. “You lose Amari (Cooper), you lose Ced (Wilson), you lose Connor Williams, we thought Blake Jarwin would be here for four or five years and unfortunately the injury situation affected him,” Jones said. “I already mentioned that those are some of the areas (of need) because we’ve got quite a bit of depth on the defensive front with what we did in free agency. We’ve got Leighton (Vander Esch) at linebacker. We got the safeties we wanted and we have a good situation at cornerback. You never say we’re just focused on offense. If there’s a defensive guy sitting there and you’ve got him rated much higher than everyone else, that’s where we’ve had our success. It’s not about be pigeonholed to select a particular position.
• The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on tight end Dalton Schultz earlier this month. Could both sides reach a long-term agreement before the mid-July deadline? “We just have to see where we end up with everything from an overall standpoint,” Jones said. “But obviously the fact that we tagged Dalton tells you everything you need to know about what we think of him. We’ll see how that progresses.”
• One move that may get a bit lost in all the free-agent news here lately is the decision to release La’el Collins. Jones was asked what happened to make the Cowboys “disgusted” with a player who had been a regular starter. “I don’t think that’s the right word. You have to make tough decisions. Obviously Terence Steele had a hand in that decision and what we think he could be. The way he goes about his job. played: his arrow is pointing up. It’s only going to get better. When you start having to make some decisions from a business standpoint, that was one we felt we had to make. But there’s no one who’s upset with La’el We esteem him very much.”