Jerry Jones

Latest On Jerry Jones, Roger Goodell

December 5th, 2017 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

League owners may have found a way to give Roger Goodell a new contract while placating Jerry Jones. The solution may be to slash other high salaries at the league office and reduce the money spent on NFL investigations and lawsuits, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com hears.

Other owners share Jones’ sentiments about the spending at the league’s Park Ave. headquarters, so this could easily be ratified at the next owner’s meeting on Dec. 13 at Texas. Jones would be less-than-thrilled about Goodell getting his lucrative new extension, but he doesn’t have much say in the matter. Although he still wields a great deal of influence, the league says that the decision on Goodell’s contract will be made solely by the Compensation Committee, a group comprised of six other owners.

There was some talk about an informal meeting taking place in December that could effectively solidify Goodell’s contract. In comments made to 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday, Jones sounded confident that nothing would be agreed upon until the full meeting.

“We’re going to have a meeting here in Dallas in about 10 days on the 13th,” Jones said (transcript via PFT) . “We should have a real good airing out of some of the things that we’ve been reading about, and in the meantime I’ve been having a lot of conversations with a lot of owners.”

NFC East Notes: Redskins, Cousins, Cowboys

November 28th, 2017 at 4:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are reportedly no longer considering the $28.8MM transition tag for Kirk Cousins in 2018. Instead, Washington wants to evaluate the quarterback down the stretch of the season to determine whether it wants to use the $34.5MM franchise tag on him, sign him to a long-term deal, or allow him to test free agency unencumbered. That’s just fine with Cousins.

“You know, I can understand the unique situation that it is, and you’re trying to find value in every player at every position,” Cousins told 106.7 The Fan (transcription via Chris Lingebach of CBS DC). “If you still need five more games, or five-plus, to make a decision, so be it, but I’d like to think that I’ve played a lot of football here. I’ve been here six years and I think the people in the building have gotten to know me, who I am as a man, who I am as a football player, what I’m about and who I’m gonna be going forward and I’d like to think they can make an informed decision regardless. But if they need five more games, so be it, but I understand the need to find value and understand what you’re getting.”

At 5-6, the Redskins have just a 6.7% chance of reaching the postseason, per Football Outsiders, but there is still plenty riding on these final games.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

Recently, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated that he was backing down from his lawsuit threat against the NFL because the league promised to “get input from all the owners” on Roger Goodell‘s new deal, rather than leaving it up to just the Compensation Committee. No such deal has been made, however, according to NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart. Lockhart reiterated that the six-man committee has the sole power to approve an extension for the commissioner (link via PFT).
Redskins coach Jay Gruden says defensive lineman Jonathan Allen remains on course for returning from injured reserve this season (link via ESPN.com’s John Keim). Allen, who has missed the bulk of the season with a Lisfranc injury, can be activated off IR for the Week 15 game against the Cardinals.
Eagles defensive Brandon Graham registered his seventh sack of the season on Sunday and that triggered a $250K incentive in his 2017 contract, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. By hitting that milestone, he also boosted his 2018 salary by $250K.
On Tuesday, the Giants announced that Eli Manning will be benched this week in favor of Geno Smith.

Latest On Roger Goodell

November 26th, 2017 at 2:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Roger Goodell saga has dominated headlines for months, but we could be inching closer to a resolution. There is a “strong sentiment” among owners to get the matter fully resolved ahead of NFL’s owners meeting on Dec. 13, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. That group of determined owners includes some of those who serve on the league’s six-man Compensation Committee.

Recently, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that he expects the matter to be discussed at the December meeting. Although Jones wields considerable influence and the meeting is being held in his backyard, it’s not his call to make since the league’s full ownership group already voted to authorize the Compensation Committee to complete a deal months ago. With that in mind, owners looking to put a bow on Goodell’s negotiations (presumably resulting in a new multi-year deal for the commissioner) believe things can be taken care of in New York this week with a portion of the NFL’s owners on hand for committee meetings.

The committee meetings take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, so Goodell could have a new contract in hand shortly. La Canfora hears that Falcons owner Arthur Blank is particularly driven to get things squared away.

“It could happen really fast after the committee meetings,” one ownership source told La Canfora, adding that Blank is expected to “allow for more dialogue with any owners” – beyond Jones and (Redskins owner) Dan Snyder – who have “issues” with the proposed deal.

A new deal for Goodell could be worth as much as $200MM.

Jones Wants Input From Owners On Goodell

November 25th, 2017 at 6:46pm CST by Micah Powell

Though Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has relented on his threat to sue the NFL, the Cowboys owner is not giving up his battle against commissioner Roger Goodell just yet, Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams writes.

Though the six-member Compensation Committee voted unanimously to extend Goodell, Jones expects all owners to have input on the decision when they convene at an owners-only meeting in Irving, Texas on Dec. 13. “I just want to say that we really have had, are having a lot of owner participation. So that’s a part of it,” Jones said. “It doesn’t mean at all that we’re not really pursing what we want to get done, and that is have the owners in a very positive way give input and make everyone, including ourselves, accountable.”

Pro Football Talk also reported earlier in the week that Jones will seek a secret ballot in regards to Goodell’s contract. Even if Jones receives the secret ballot, which requires a majority of 17 owners to trigger, he is facing an uphill battle. After the ballot is triggered, 75 percent of the 32 votes are needed to rescind the decision.

Regardless the outcome, Jones doesn’t seem likely to give up the fight anytime soon.

Jerry Jones Says He Won’t Sue NFL

November 21st, 2017 at 10:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The idea of a Jerry Jones lawsuit against the NFL became a real possibility recently, but the Cowboys owner has backed off of that stance.

Jones told USA Today’s Jarrett Bell he will not sue the league over Roger Goodell‘s contract. Instead, the Dallas decision-maker wants “accountability,” seeking all 32 owners to approve Goodell’s contract rather than just the six-man compensation committee.

The brash owner also didn’t deny he made the comments attributed to him in the explosive report that emerged late last week. But he denied threatening the commissioner.

“As long as those comments are kept in the context of the overall conversation, then I don’t deny that I said that,” Jones said (via Bell). But I deny threatening Roger.”

ESPN.com published a quote from Jones saying he was going to come after Goodell with “everything that I have” in a comment that also included a derogatory remark about Robert Kraft.

As for what’s next with the commissioner, an owner who isn’t on the compensation committee expects Goodell’s contract to now be finalized as soon as next week, Bell reports. A separate owner said Jones’ aggressiveness against the process has actually helped push it closer to completion.

Jones was part of a 32-0 owners’ vote approving the compensation committee to work out a new Goodell deal, but the owner said Tuesday circumstances have changed since he voiced his approval for this measure.

“There have been material changes since the resolution,” Jones said, explaining why he reconsidered his position regarding the May approval of Goodell’s extension. “It should go back to the ownership.”

Mark Maske of the Washington Post reported over the weekend some owners wanted sanctions against Jones for his actions in recent months, with another league source adding Goodell’s contract would be completed soon and Jones would be “dealt with.” Maske also reported another ratification from owners on Goodell’s deal won’t be required despite Jones’ wishes.

Jones, however, said he had support from several owners as well regarding his stance. And he doesn’t believe he should be disciplined for his recent actions, per Bell. He also denied recent reports’ assertions this anti-Goodell charge was solely because of the Ezekiel Elliott suspension.

“This is not about replacing Roger,” Jones said, via Bell. “It’s a misnomer to say it’s payback for Ezekiel Elliott. It is about the accountability of the commissioner to all of the ownership.”

Jerry Jones Responds To Recent Reports

November 21st, 2017 at 8:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Some notable reporting came out of Dallas last week detailing the escalating rift between Jerry Jones and Roger Goodell. Being the most accessible owner in the game, Jones commented on his motivations Tuesday.

A group of other owners believe Jones’ crusade against the commissioner is entirely based upon Ezekiel Elliott‘s six-game suspension. Jones maintains it’s about holding Goodell accountable rather than revenge for the commissioner suspending his star running back.

“The commissioner has a right to change his mind,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan (via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). ”He’s got a right to say one thing one day and say another thing the next day. He can sleep on it. All of those things happen. But the commissioner is very powerful and probably in the most powerful position relative to his constituency that there it is in anything. Well, all owners should be holding the commissioner accountable in my view. That’s the gist of this thing.”

ESPN reporters Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham reported Jones threatened Goodell over the phone with the kind of response Robert Kraft did not bring in the Deflategate saga. Jones did not agree with the account that this one-man offensive against Goodell and the NFL has to do with him confidently saying Elliott was in the clear when he wasn’t.

“Let me just say this because the interpretation is that I got out over my skis and consequently I got embarrassed because I said nothing was going to happen. That’s just not right. Let’s just go to the meat of it and let’s just carry it on back. There was rationale. There was precedent. There were all kinds of things that would have influenced the commissioner’s decision there.

“Now that’s the thing that ought to be looked at, not Zeke’s situation, but the entire way Zeke’s and the philosophy and everything behind Zeke business.”

Jones wants each of the 32 owners to have a say in Goodell’s next contract, rather than just the six-man compensation committee — from which he’s been removed after coming aboard as an additional member. Of course, other owners are now on board with Jones being sanctioned for his recent actions — which have included the threat of a lawsuit against the NFL. So it’s uncertain at this point how much clout the powerful owner has regarding this issue he’s raised.

Owners In Favor Of NFL Punishing Jerry Jones?

November 18th, 2017 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jerry Jones–Roger Goodell feud is starting to look more like the Cowboys owner is taking on the majority of his peers.

Other NFL owners are expressing a strong sentiment toward the NFL taking disciplinary action against Jones, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports. While it’s uncertain how many owners are behind this, Maske reports some of the league’s most influential owners are in favor of Jones discipline.

Jones has threatened to sue the NFL because of, cosmetically speaking, Goodell’s contract. However, many owners are upset at the brash decision-maker for making his grievances public. And these owners, Maske reports, believe Jones’ actions are solely tied to Ezekiel Elliott‘s six-game suspension, which the running back is now serving at an inopportune time for the Cowboys.

“Roger will be extended, and Jerry will be dealt with,” a person familiar with the owners’ sentiments said, via Maske, before adding “It depends on how far (Jones) goes,” regarding what kind of discipline will be levied.

Said punishment would ultimately come from Goodell and the owners’ management council executive committee. Jones has already been removed from the compensation committee.

The owners do not support Jones being forced to sell the Cowboys and view it as unrealistic, but a fine, suspension or the Cowboys losing draft picks would be in play in this scenario, Maske notes. Some explosive dialogue on Jones’ behalf was reported to have occurred recently, with ESPN.com’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham reporting Jones threatened Goodell during a phone call.

“I’m gonna come after you with everything I have,” Jones said, via the ESPN tandem. “If you think [Patriots owner] Bob Kraft came after you hard [over Deflategate], Bob Kraft is a p—y compared to what I’m going to do.”

Jones is attempting to block a through-2024 Goodell extension, but Van Natta Jr. and Wickersham’s report indicates the owners’ actions are more about a power struggle than Jones taking issue with the commissioner’s contract.

The next set of owners’ meetings are set for Dec. 12-13 in Dallas, and Maske notes Goodell’s extension could be completed by then. Owners voted 32-0 in favor of a new Goodell deal to be authorized earlier this year. Upon the extension being completed, the league is not planning another ratification vote despite Jones’ wishes.

Latest On Jerry Jones/Roger Goodell Saga

November 17th, 2017 at 11:21am CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did not react well when he first heard that running back Ezekiel Elliott was being handed a six-game suspension. That fateful phone conversation between Jones, commissioner Roger Goodell, and general counsel Jeff Pash instantly ignited a war between the Cowboys owner and the league office.

“I’m gonna come after you with everything I have,” Jones said, according to Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com. “If you think [Patriots owner] Bob Kraft came after you hard [over Deflategate], Bob Kraft is a p—y compared to what I’m going to do.”

The article from the ESPN duo, which is worth reading in full, paints an ugly picture of where things currently stand between Jones and the NFL. The story also goes into detail about a major chasm between Goodell’s administration and the league’s owners. Even within Goodell’s upper ranks, there appears to be a great deal of mistrust. Despite all of that, it appears that Goodell is on the brink of an extension that will give him a pay bump over his current $42MM salary.

Goodell was reportedly “furious” about this extension being delayed, and the ESPN duo report the 11th-year commissioner was “emboldened” at the notion he would accept a deep pay cut after making the league’s owners a lot of money, while “taking many bullets for them,” during his tenure. The commissioner still has support from many owners, and the ownership contingent expects his salary to land around the $40MM-AAV mark, Wickersham and Van Natta Jr. report. This comes after ESPN reported Goodell asked in August for a deal worth around $49MM per year, provided he reached incentives, and a compensation package that included the usage of a private jet for he and his family.

Goodell might walk away if the owners “squeeze him too hard” regarding his salary, Van Natta Jr. and Wickersham report. The lack of a successor plays into Goodell’s thinking here.

Van Natta Jr. and Wickersham also report the owners have considered other high-profile commissioner candidates. One owner’s confidant reached out to NBA commissioner Adam Silver about taking over for Goodell. Silver quickly said no. The owners also reached out to the International Olympic Committee in an attempt to find a candidate with experience growing sports globally.

Goodell’s predecessor, Paul Tagliabue, was mentioned as a possible one-year stopgap option while Goodell’s long-term successor was determined. It’s not clear whether the 76-year-old Taliabue would be interested, but Jones reportedly has his own candidate in mind. Other owners, by in large, aren’t interested in a Jones-handpicked successor.

The ESPN reporters note this Jones-Goodell feud is not about the commissioner’s contract, but rather power and control.

“Jerry’s message to Roger was ‘I run this league. You better get with it,'” a senior league executive told ESPN. “This is about power and control, not the contract. That’s all white noise.”

Meanwhile, Jones figures to become a point of discussion in the Colin Kaepernick case. The quarterback’s attorneys will delve into the relationship between Jones and Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter and will inquire about whether Jones pushed Schnatter to slam Goodell on an earnings call, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports hears. A deposition for Jones could be finalized by mid-December. Schnatter, however, cannot be forced to give a deposition.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report.

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Jones, 49ers

November 16th, 2017 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Jerry Jones will not forced out as the owner of the Cowboys, the owner of one team and others familiar with the situation tell Mark Maske of The Washington Post.

“I don’t know where this is coming from about stripping him of his franchise,” the anonymous owner said. “That’s ridiculous. That’s not going to happen.”

Two others with knowledge of the NFL’s inner workings told Maske the same thing. However, the aforementioned owner did note that Jones could be subject to a fine if he files a lawsuit. He also would face the prospect of paying attorney fees for both sides. That could be in reference to a “prevailing party” clause which stipulates that the losing side picks up everyone’s bill.

Here’s a look at the NFC:

The 49ers say there’s no rush to get newly-acquired quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on the field. “We know what we like about Jimmy Garoppolo. And that’s only been strengthened by the time that’s he’s been here,” GM John Lynch said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). “We’re just going to let these things play out. That’s in Kyle’s hands. People have had all these ideas about why we got Jimmy. We got Jimmy because we think he has big-time ability at the quarterback position. And we believe so much – to get where we need to get – you have to have a franchise quarterback. We think he’s got that ability. Whether that happens, when that happens, we’ll see. But we certainly like his future with the 49ers. … They’re going to work hard during this week to get him up to speed. But right now, we don’t need him. C.J. [Beathard] just played a great game and his teammates really believe in him. We think it’s nothing but a good situation.”
To incentivize running back Jonathan Williams to sign to their active roster, the Saints gave him a $50K signing bonus, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Recently, Williams left the Broncos’ practice squad to join up with the Saints on a two-year deal. He also turned down a similar opportunity with the Falcons. It’s also worth mentioning that the second year of his deal also includes a $25K workout bonus (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of The Advocate).
This week, the Redskins were forced to place running back Rob Kelley on IR.

Latest On Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones

November 16th, 2017 at 11:21am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has issued a letter to Jerry Jones’ attorney accusing the Cowboys owner of “conduct detrimental to the league’s best interests,” as Barry Wilner of The Associated Press writes. It appears that the league is barking back in the battle over commissioner Roger Goodell’s proposed extension.

“Your client’s antics, whatever their motivation, are damaging the league and reflect conduct detrimental to the league’s best interests,” the letter said.

Jones says that he has issues with Goodell’s compensation in the new contract and is also looking to limit the power of his office. Of course, this fury over Goodell’s deal has intersected with the Ezekiel Elliott‘s appeal (which was put to rest on Wednesday) as well as the anthem controversy, a matter on which Jones has been extremely outspoken.

Within the letter, the NFL confirms that Jones has been removed as a non-voting member of the compensation committee. It has been rumored that Jones gained entry to that group by essentially appointing himself a member. Jones was accused of abusing that access and spreading an outdated document from the Goodell negotiations with the rest of the league’s owners.

“Someone who is genuinely concerned ‘that the owners know the truth about the negotiations’ would not deliberately distribute such an outdated document, particularly when he has in his possession drafts that are current and accurately reflect the actual state of negotiations, or threaten to sue the league and its owners if he does not get his way,” the letter said.

The NFL doesn’t have a problem with Jones’ opposition to Goodell’s extension, Mike Florio of PFT hears, but the league does have a big problem with how he has gone about expressing his displeasure. The league’s latest warning shot towards Jones may finally lead to deescalation, particularly since the Elliott matter is in the rear-view mirror.

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