One of the reasons the Dallas Cowboys are the best-selling brand in all of sports, is because they have always been a franchise with elite “star power (pun intended).” Jerry Jones learned early on, it’s a player-driven league where marketability is almost as important as performance.

So, back in 1993 when full fledge free agency became available for the first time in the NFL history, the Cowboys became a hot landing spot for the top free agents. And nobody could lure a top-tier free agent like the owner/general manager of the Cowboys, Jerry Jones.

After the devastating loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the 1994 NFCCG (NFC Championship Game), Jerry went out of his way to sign away the 49ers best defensive player, All Pro defensive back Deion Sanders.

Jerry signed Deion to a lucrative contract with the Dallas Cowboys for seven years, $35 million dollars with a $12.999 million signing bonus. At the time, Deion became the highest paid defensive player in the entire league. We hear now Stephen Jones didn’t like the fact that Jerry spent so much money on Deion, and that Stephen even pushed Jerry up against a door with his elbow. Wow!

The Dallas fanbase rarely agree on anything when it comes to their favorite team, but there is one thing everyone agrees on: The frustration of not winning a Super Bowl since 1995

Stephen Jones’ lack of spending drives this fanbase crazier than the 100 degrees in Texas. Sure, fans hated Jerry’s unilateral decision-making back in the day, but Stephen is causing his own headaches throughout Cowboys Nation.

Some celebrate the fact Jerry has taken a step back from the day-to-day operations and like the idea of Stephen being more involved. But Stephen holds the Dallas Cowboys purse strings tighter than a “dixie hat band”. So we ask: Which decision-maker was better?

Why Jerry’s big spending ways is better for this franchise

In the past, when Jerry had more control of the purse strings, I’ll openly admit that I used to get mildly upset with how Jerry would splurge on certain big name free agents whose best years were behind them.

Yet, those cases were far few and in between because Jerry mostly threw his millions at elite players or ones that still could be effective in some regard. In other words, Jerry wasn’t paying millions of dollars to scrubs or one-hit wonders. He was paying money to players that could help him win another Super Bowl.

Before Dallas’s dynasty years and afterwards, Jerry signed and spent money on free agents like Jay Novacek, James Washington, Rocket Ismail, Terrell Owens, Leonard Davis, Anthony Henry, Zach Thomas, Darren McFadden, Ray Donaldson, Ken Hamilin, La’Roi Glover, and many others.

All of those aforementioned players were major contributors to Dallas either in winning Super Bowls or giving Dallas a successful season chance at said Super Bowl. What is even more interesting is that several of those players had Pro Bowl seasons while playing in Dallas. Look at how Owens made Tony Romo a better quarterback from ’06-’08, and Dallas had two playoff appearances in that span.

In years past-whenever an elite player hit the market-Jerry made it his duty to sign that particular player. Back in 2006, then head coach Bill Parcells wasn’t interested in Owens being on the team, but Jerry ignored Parcells pleas and made an executive decision to sign the ultra-talented Hall of Famer, Owens. Had Parcells stayed on as Dallas’ head coach, the odds of Dallas winning a Super Bowl increase significantly.

Jerry might not be the best general manager, but the man is no dummy when he sees the opportunity to sign elite talents like Deion, Owens and others. Jerry understood the significance of signing those players and how it shifted the power dynamics in their conference. Signing Deion landed Dallas another Super Bowl title (1995), and Owens helped Dallas to a 13-3 record, winners of the NFC East and number one seed in 2007.

Like I stated earlier, a Parcells coached team with Owens had the earmarks of a Super Bowl-winning team.

I liken Jerry’s old spending habits to that of a homerun hitter that swings for the fences every chance he gets. Sure, that slugger might strike out more frequently, but that slugger will also hit more home runs and a Super Bowl is ultimate home run.

So, if Jerry swings for the fences with a game-changing free agent signing here or there, then Dallas will at least have a fighting chance to hit that homerun. Sure, they could strike out but how much worse is that compared to what we’ve gone through the last 25+ seasons?

Stephen’s Cap-saving ways are a hinderance, aka “Cap Boy”

Dallas will never see another Super Bowl because scared money makes no money!

Stephen is Jerry’s son, but in Stephen’s case, the apple fell so far from the tree that it rolled down the hit, get kicked into the street and was run over by a Prius. That apple completely lost its identity. Stephen is clearly the nemesis to Dallas’ spending to improve its roster.

Nicked named “cap boy extraordinaire” by Dallas’ loyal fan base, Stephen lives up that billing on a regular basis because he preaches more about cap savings than actually investing money into players to improve the team. Currently, Dallas has $22 million dollars in cap savings, but Stephen brags about that $22 million as if he won the lottery instead of an executive that plans to put it to great use on talented players.

Hey someone needs to remind Stephen the goal in sports is to spend money to win championships, not to build up your financial portfolio to showoff to your Wall Street cronies. Stephen exemplified his “cap” behavior when he changed the contract language at the last minute with former pass rusher Randy Gregory. Best believe that language included Dallas saving money in the event Gregory was suspended for using marijuana.

sidenote:  I will give Stephen credit for wanting to sign Dallas’ own free agents first and continue to build through the draft, but when those All-Pro players that were drafted are awaiting their pay day, is Stephen going to get scared and not sign Dallas’ best defensive players: Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons. Think about it.

But the NFL and the NFLPA has agreed to lift those archaic and harsh penalties for marijuana use. As a result, Stephen would rather risk losing a promising edge rusher than reward him after battling his own personal demons with a recreational drug that is known for healing than anything else.

At the end of the day, the best scenario is for Jerry and Stephen to have a happy medium where they can balance each other out with their spending philosophies.

But if the trend continues with “cap boy” Stephen leading the way with his thrift-shop spending ways, then the temperament of the Dallas Cowboys fan base will continue to be hotter than the 100-degree heat in west Texas. And baby, that’s hot!

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