Cowboys’ Stephen Jones Breaks Silence on Missing Out on Free Agent WR

Getty Images Dallas Cowboys COO Stephen Jones.

The Dallas Cowboys kicked the tires on adding veteran Zay Jones to round out the wide receiving corps around quarterback Dak Prescott, but the seven-year veteran ultimately signed with the Arizona Cardinals, instead.

After Missing out on Jones, who put pen to paper on a one-year deal worth $4.25 million, according to Ian Rappoport of NFL Media, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones revealed how Jones joined the ranks of free agent targets who wound up elsewhere this offseason.

“Anytime you got a chance to add a pro, you look at it and see,” Stephen Jones said, via ESPN’s Todd Archer. “But we like our group. If we think somebody can improve us, we’ll take a look at it.”

It made sense for the Cowboys to explore adding Jones, given that behind playmaker CeeDee Lamb and veteran Brandin Cooks, Dallas is looking for a reliable and consistent third option to emerge from the likes of Jalen Tolbert, rookie Ryan Flournoy, KeVontae Turpin, and Racey McMath, among others.

Jones would have added a strong veteran presence, and lands in Arizona after averaging 572 and 3.5 touchdowns during his two seasons in Jacksonville.

Stephen Jones sounds like the Cowboys are bullish about the players behind Lamb and Cooks.  But, the ultimate test of Dallas’ confidence could come during the coming weeks and months as well as throughout training camp this summer when it comes to whether the organization ultimately adds a veteran to bolster depth at the position.

Mike McCarthy Reveals Cowboys’ Running Back Plans

Ezekiel Elliott is back in the fold but might be just one piece of the Cowboys’ puzzle at running back.

Elliott returns to the Cowboys, after rushing for 642 yards and three touchdowns for the New England Patriots during a 2023 season that saw him start the final five games of the season.

But, head coach Mike McCarthy suggests that the Cowboys might not go into the 2024 campaign without a bell-cow in the backfield.

“We’re running back by committee,” McCarthy told reporters, of Dallas’ backfield and how Elliott will fit. “But I think he’ll definitely play at the level that he’s played, I know, in my time here. I anticipate that. I don’t see any drop-off in the way he moves. He’s in good shape. … He’s come in here, and he’s picked up right where he left off.”

In addition to Elliott, the Cowboys will be looking for at least one complementary back to emerge from a running back room that includes Deuce Vaughn, Snoop Conner, Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis, and free agent newcomer Royce Freeman.

Dallas finished last season ranked 14th in rushing offense, so it’s little wonder that running back became a point of emphasis in what has been an otherwise quiet offseason for the Cowboys.

“I think it’s the times that we’re in. 17 games is a lot of football,” McCarthy said. “That’s a big role for those guys. Don’t get me wrong, they’d all like to carry it like the old days and have all those touches, but you want those guys fresh at the most important time of year. It’s all part of the planning and how you project touches and playing time.”