Cowboys' lack of urgency is going to burn a hole in Jerry Jones’ checkbook

The Big Short was about the 2008 housing crisis, but it might also be a perfect title for the 2025 Dallas Cowboys. I mean, what on god's green earth is Jerry Jones even doing besides getting one day older at a time? In truth, aren't we all sort of doing that, pretty much involuntarily? The only differences are that you are you, I am me and Jones owns a multi-billion dollar football enterprise.

As we have tried to unpack this rat's nest of confusion going on at The Star, a second thing has also gotten lost in the shuffle. Not only is Zack Martin playing out potentially the final year of his illustrious career, but where's the money, Lebowski, to pay Micah Parsons top-dollar next offseason? Parsons was extended the fifth-year option, but he too will have to be paid like so many of Dallas' superstars.

To date, Jones is letting head coach Mike McCarthy coach out the last year of his contract, Dak Prescott play out the final year of his four-year deal to be the team's franchise quarterback, Martin possibly playing out the final year of his career, CeeDee Lamb playing out his fifth-year option season and now has to figure out what he is going to do about Parsons' new deal in less than a year's time.

Parsons told Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he expects to break the bank soon.

“I’m patient. Patience is a virtue. I’m waiting my turn. Let CeeDee go get whatever. Let Dak get whatever. I kind of know where the money is. It’s not like I see the Cowboys with $90MM in cap space."

The fact Parsons wants Nick Bosa money on top of Justin Jefferson's extension is honestly fair.

“This market is going to just jump up and the cap goes up again next year. They’re talking about these contracts might for a high-caliber player might be up to $40MM by then.”

Where things stand now, Jones is going to have to pay Prescott close to $60 million annually, Lamb somewhere in the $35 million range and Parsons beyond what Lamb is slated to make in a year or so. We are not even considering what it will take to bring Martin back on another contract. Can this team even afford a coach, much less enough warm bodies to build a competitive roster around?

The Cowboys have drafted so well, but have done a deplorably bad job at bookkeeping recently.

Jerry Jones is going to have to rob Peter to pay Paul, as in Micah Parsons

Outside of constant brand awareness, the best thing the Cowboys have done for about the last decade is drafting well. I would put America's Team right up there with anyone when it comes to identifying and selecting talented players coming out of college football. Not all are hits, but very rarely does this extended front office miss. They do miss at head coach, as well as second contracts.

Truth be told, I think teams like the Cowboys should be given every reasonable advantage to be able to retain their own homegrown talent. Drafting well is an art, and this team drafts like Pablo Picasso painted. Although it may go outside the lines like Salvador Dali and Jackson Pollock most often would, you will eventually recognize greatness, even if it is non-obvious, like the Cowboys drafting.

What I cannot seem to get past is how much control they are giving to an octogenarian owner who is becoming more and more like Al Davis was in the end with the then-Oakland Raiders. These men are synonymous with NFL greatness. The league is not what it is without them for so many reasons. Yet in the end, it became weird, dysfunctional, head-scratching and rather sad. What is even going on here?

Whatever is causing the financial holdup in Dallas may not ever be explained. All I know is well-run teams like the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs would have found a way to pay all of these great players and coaches what they were worth. It is a hard salary cap, and I totally understand that. However, we are seeing this mom and pop operation starting to look more like the L.A. Lakers.

Dallas' financial problems are only going to help other teams land some of their very best players.