OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys typically arrive at training camp with some sort of off-field drama swirling around the team, often in the form of a high-profile contract dispute, but there are no such issues this year going into their traditional Southern California sojourn.
It isn’t by design, according to Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, but the 83-year-old football maverick will take the appearance of calm over the alternative.
“I don’t believe it makes one iota worth of difference on whether or not we block the guy or go off tackle, but I do like the perception that we’ve had a quite uneventful offseason, and let’s see how we can work in that,” Jones said Tuesday at his annual precamp news conference.
Compared with a year ago when the stalemate with standout defensive end Micah Parsons over a contract extension quickly devolved into a contentious hold-in and eventually culminated in his shocking trade to the Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys appear to have no financial concerns threatening to overshadow or undermine their on-field work over the next three-plus weeks.
Instead, the main focus will be on shaping an overhauled defensive roster under a new coaching staff into a unit capable of helping head coach Brian Schottenheimer's dynamic offense.
The urgency to address that side of the ball, Jones said, is where the narrative of a calm offseason ends.
“We’ve had a lot going on, and we’ve had to really scramble a lot,” he said. “The kind of stuff you don’t see, but that should be that way. It’s supposed to be hard.”
The Cowboys hired Christian Parker from the division rival Philadelphia Eagles in January as their defensive coordinator, tasking the 34-year-old secondary specialist with fixing a defense that gave up the most points in franchise history (511) and ranked last in the NFL in scoring (30.1 points per game) and passing yards allowed (251.5).
Dallas also used its first three draft picks on defense, including taking Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the 11th selection, and worked to address other personnel deficiencies in free agency.
“We’ve made that bed when we brought in new scheme, new coaches, new players," Jones said. “We’re going with new right there, so I’ve bought into that.”
Getting that group up to speed to assist an offense led by the star trio of quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens will be critical for the Cowboys’ hopes of returning to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Dallas went 7-9-1 in Schottenheimer’s first year, including a 6-1-1 record when scoring 30 or more points.
“All those moves that we made, it was not a quiet offseason for us, and it was a great offseason for us,” Schottenheimer said.
Prescott seems to be embracing the idea that the Cowboys can put themselves in position to compete at the highest level. He arrived at training camp wearing a Super Bowl championship shirt from the last time Dallas won it all following the 1995 regular season, which was also the last time they reached the NFC title game.
“I like the idea, thinking that positive about what we're going to work for,” Jones said. “We've got a long way to go, really having started in the spring. But that's good to me to be positive, especially coming from him.”
Jones didn’t rule out making further moves to improve the roster on defense, saying he recently was in contact with another NFL owner over a potential trade.
He declined to discuss the Cowboys’ possible interest in Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, citing league rules about tampering. A deal to send Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in March was scuttled because of a failed physical.
It was a rare moment of caution from Jones, who has never shied away from expressing himself in front of the media.
When asked if the Cowboys' low-key offseason was intentional, Jones acknowledged his penchant for drawing out the spotlight.
“I've never thought there was anything quiet or subdued about the Dallas Cowboys. I never thought of it that way, but I have been guilty of stirring it up. And you guys help me, and we have been a great team — I promise you that — for the last 30-something years," a smiling Jones said.
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