Former Eagles executive Jerry Jones and the Cowboys take to social media to criticize their failure to execute a contract strategy that lasted more than 20 years

A former Philadelphia Eagles executive believes the Dallas Cowboys made the same mistake multiple times during contract negotiations.

Joe Banner served as Eagles president from 1995 to 2012, during a time when the Eagles and Cowboys often battled for playoff success in the NFC East. He took to social media Friday to reminisce about how the Cowboys have always preferred to put off contract negotiations as long as possible, something they are now being criticized for again.

Banner went further with his comments, admitting that he and the then-Eagles front office viewed the Cowboys’ negotiating tactics as a “significant competitive advantage” for their own team. He expressed surprise as to why the Cowboys continued to employ the same approach.

Former Eagles CEO reveals Dallas Cowboys

When I was with the Eagles, we thought the Cowboys were planning on cutting players as late as they did, which gave us a significant competitive advantage. That remains true and obvious to this day. I’m not sure why they continued that strategy.

— Joe Banner (@JoeBanner13) July 26, 2024

It’s never ideal when a rival publicly touts organizational strategy as a competitive advantage for its rivals, but it’s hard to deny it. This offseason, the Cowboys delayed contract negotiations with both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, despite other players at their positions securing significant new deals with other teams. As a result, re-signing Prescott will likely be significantly more expensive now than it would have been a few months ago. Plus, from the Cowboys’ perspective, this waiting game is creating unnecessary drama.

Still, there’s no sign that owner Jerry Jones is going to change his approach. His ultimate goal is unclear, but he remains confident that the necessary deals will eventually get done. Even if he’s right (I highly doubt it), those deals will likely be more expensive and dramatic than necessary.

I sit here on this beautiful Saturday, ending the month of July with a big smile on my face, knowing that I am rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles, who continue to be a model for the entire NFL in terms of running an organization. From budget space, to drafting and developing talent, to handling contract negotiations, it seems that we are ahead of the curve when it comes to our front office under Howie Roseman.

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