The Cowboys finally admitted it — they want to be more like the Eagles
Two years ago Jerry Jones criticized how the Birds built their roster. Now they’re back in the Super Bowl and Dallas is changing its tune.
![Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (left) and Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie (right) talk before a game at Lincoln Financial Field in December.](https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/v2/YUUN4X6JHBFU5K7L7RLILBXOIU.jpg?auth=e37dc41da3a4062d02f90f60fafbe06bed692098b6ab113a829103cd318d38ce&width=760&height=507&smart=true)
The Dallas Cowboys have finally figured out how to get back to the Super Bowl — be like the Eagles.
During a news conference Monday, Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said they’re studying the success of several other franchises around the league, including the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, in an attempt to turn around their team’s misfortunes. But Jones also threw the Eagles into the mix.
“A team like Philadelphia, you certainly look at the way they’re doing it, where they went out and did some things with some veteran players,” Jones said. “You have to take a look at that.”
One of the reasons the Eagles have been consistently successful in recent years is general manager Howie Roseman’s ability to manage contracts and player salaries, building the best teams possible under the NFL’s salary cap rules.
» READ MORE: Eagles GM Howie Roseman deserves more respect and credit for his best year ever. Here are his 10 best moves
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn’t mention Roseman by name, but put a strong emphasis on the Cowboys’ need to improve when it comes to the salary cap.
“I think our first Super Bowls that I was involved in were before the cap,” Jones said. “So we need to do a better job in that area.”
It’s a remarkable turnaround from just two years ago, when Jones mocked the Eagles for building a roster designed for short-term success, saying they had to “empty the bucket” to make it to the Super Bowl.
“Anybody who thinks I won’t take a chance has misread the tea leaves. But I do think longer term,” Jones said at the 2023 Senior Bowl ahead of Super Bowl LVII. “And I’m real hesitant to bet it all for a year. There’s a lot of things that can happen for that year. In essence, we’re seeing a couple of teams that have had some real success putting it all out there and paying for it later in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.”
» READ MORE: It wasn’t just the Kelce Bowl: A look at what you forgot from the last Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl
Jones comments were mocked by many, including Fox Sports analyst and former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson, who pointed to a roster of “talented young players” and extra draft picks obtained by Roseman.
“I think the Philadelphia Eagles are gonna be good for a long time,” Johnson told The Inquirer ahead of Super Bowl LVII.
Just two years later, they’re back in the Super Bowl.