Jerry Jones has already made a mess of this offseason, and we aren't even out of July yet. He’s mismanaged Micah Parsons’ extension, thrown shade at Trevon Diggs, and now one of his former cornerstone defenders is out in Seattle, making him look worse by the day. That’s the trifecta.
DeMarcus Lawrence is no longer a Dallas fan favorite because the Cowboys didn’t want to commit long-term money to a 33-year-old run stopper with pass-rushing upside who missed most of last season. In theory, it made sense. Until he walked into the Seattle Seahawks' facility and immediately became their tone-setter, veteran leader, and most trusted drill guy — all before playing a snap.
Related: Giants fans would pay to watch Jerry Jones handle Terry McLaurin’s extension
If you’re a New York Giants fan, you take your wins wherever you can get them. And watching the Cowboys lose one of their longtime locker room leaders while the guy lights it up in the Pacific Northwest is a massive win.
DeMarcus Lawrence lights up Seattle while Jerry Jones publicly shames his players
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald called Lawrence “the best drill player I’ve ever seen in my life.” Jarran Reed said veteran leadership from Lawrence (and Leonard Williams) is what the defense needs. Williams backed it up, citing Lawrence’s work ethic and impact in practice.
Safe to say no one in Dallas is getting that praise, especially from anyone in the front office.
Jerry is too busy publicly playing contract chicken with Parsons and incorrectly telling reporters how many games he's missed. He somehow managed to say the 26-year-old wasn’t durable while also comparing him to Dak Prescott in a tone-deaf example of how not to handle negotiations with your best player. That situation couldn't be going more sideways, and everyone knows it.
And then there’s Diggs. After rehabbing away from the team, he had $500k docked from his contract thanks to a clause Jerry enforced without hesitation — then went on record saying Diggs “didn’t earn it.” That’s not exactly how you keep your stars happy. That’s how you sink a season before it starts.
Apparently, Lawrence wasn’t part of Dallas’ long-term or short-term plan — and they’ll be worse because of it. When former players are making noise somewhere else and the team looks clearly downgraded, it’s tough to argue this front office... Jerry Jones has a clue.
Seattle gained a key leader who still plays like he’s got something to prove. Dallas lost another presence in the room to front office incompetence disguised as cap strategy. Giants fans can just sit back and soak it in — because nothing kicks off the season like another Jerry Jones faceplant.