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“I’m all in.”
These are powerful words to hear if you are sitting along the felt of a poker table. At that moment someone has decided to put all their remaining chips at risk based on the outcome of the current hand being played. Sometimes this bold move can result in a big win, giving someone many more chips to work with, whereas other times it can bust them and send them to the rail. It’s a risky move, but one those are willing to take if it can provide the best outcome.
Jerry Jones is no stranger to taking risks as he’s been a riverboat gambler most of his life. His early years with the Dallas Cowboys saw him wheeling and dealing, but he has backed off considerably with the influence of others around him. Of course, that doesn’t keep his mouth from moving as he put Cowboys Nation in a frenzy but suggesting they would be “all in” this offseason. And now, after a week of almost nothingness, the Cowboys Nation is restless and are starting to feel duped as Jones and the Cowboys appear to be doing what they always do, which is their typical cautious approach to free agency.
But did Jones truly lead fans astray? Taking a closer look at what he said might tell us otherwise.
“I would anticipate, with looking ahead at our key contracts that we’d like to address, we will be all in.”
Those are the words uttered by Jones back in January. Now he has been known to be a little creative with his word speak and to be quite honest, we’re not even sure if he knows what he is trying to say sometimes, but this crazy “miscommunication” is not on him. Never did he say that the Cowboys would be aggressive in free agency. Instead, he specifically mentioned key contracts coming up.
Allow the guy who once leveled Terrell Owens at midfield when he was trying to disrespect the star to clarify this for us.
Here are the players who hold these “key contracts” that Jones is prepared to go all in on.
POCKET ACES
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Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The best starting hand in Texas Hold’em is two aces. It has an 85% chance of winning head-to-head against a random two-card hand. At any given point, a player has a 1 in 221 chance of being dealt pocket aces. It doesn’t happen often, but when you get them, you want to make them count.
That’s the cards the Cowboys were dealt when they landed Micah Parsons with the 12th overall pick in 2020. Unbeknownst to them, they didn’t realize the strength of their hand until he got on the field and started wreaking havoc. Parsons immediately took the league by storm and he’s been in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation ever since. The Cowboys picked up his fifth-year option which will pay him more next season than his first four years combined. Next offseason, Parsons should become the highest-paid defensive player in the history of the NFL.
CEEDEEZ NUTS
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When you have an unbeatable hand in poker, you have what is referred to as “the nuts.” Having the nuts allows a player to bet with confidence since they know they can’t lose. This is why players will limp in with marginal starting hands because those hands can turn into the nuts.
The Cowboys weren’t planning to set mine a wide receiver, but when they were dealt pocket eights in the 2020 NFL Draft, that’s exactly what happened and the hand just played itself. CeeDee Lamb has been on an upward trajectory since entering the league and has become one of the NFL’s top receivers. Like Parsons, his fifth-year option price this year is more than his previous four years in the league combined. His $18 million 2024 base salary is fully guaranteed, but look for the Cowboys to shake things up with a looming contract extension that will likely pay him around $30 million per season.
THE BIG STACK
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Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
“The size of your stack is almost as important as the quality of your cards.” – Matt Damon, Rounders
When you are sitting at the table with the big stack, that puts you in a very dominating position. Not only do you have more chips than everyone else, but the threat those chips impose on the smaller stacks at the table can cause opponents to avoid tangling with you.
Soon, Dak Prescott will have one ginormous stack as he’s on course to be the highest-paid quarterback in the league, and likely the highest-paid player in the NFL. Prescott has been grinding it out for years and although he’s taken some bad beats over his career, the organization knows he gives them the best chance to win. Having a good quarterback always gives the team a chance. Just like a big stack, it allows you to withstand the ebbs and flows of the game and always gives you a fighting chance at making a deep run in the tournament.
