Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has received a lot of criticism amid his team’s 3-3 start to the campaign for not doing enough to bolster the roster this past offseason.
During Friday’s edition of the ESPN “Get Up” program, former NFL linebacker and current analyst Bart Scott suggested the four-year contract extension reportedly worth $240M with $231M guaranteed that quarterback Dak Prescott received before the season is also to blame for Dallas’ weaknesses on offense and defense.
“Part of the reason why this roster is so thin is because it was more important to [Prescott] to be the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, and not leaving a little wiggle-room for Jerry Jones to go out there and make some offseason moves,” Scott explained.
Scott’s argument is somewhat helped by the fact that Prescott failed to live up to the value of his contract with his play over Dallas’ first six games. According to ESPN stats, Prescott heads into the weekend ranked 26th in the NFL among qualified players with a 48.5 adjusted QBR and 25th with an 85.5 passer rating on the campaign. He’s tied for the second-most interceptions (six) in the league and has thus far thrown just eight touchdown passes.
Scott noted that quarterback Patrick Mahomes “should be the highest-paid player” in the league but “leaves a little bit” on the table so the Kansas City Chiefs can hold onto fellow stars such as defensive tackle Chris Jones.
“If any one of those important players gets hurt,” Scott added about Dallas’ roster, “his backup is so diminished. It’s such a big difference between his backup that you can’t be functional.”
ESPN’s Todd Archer pointed out earlier this week that noteworthy Dallas players such as pass-rusher Micah Parsons and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence have missed time this fall due to injuries. However, Archer mentioned in that same piece that head coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged after Week 6 that sidelined players returning to the lineup “doesn’t just solve” all of the club’s problems.
Prescott and the Cowboys will get some rest during the bye before they play at the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 27. 3-3 San Francisco hosts the 5-0 Chiefs this Sunday.
