The Rams won the Super Bowl a year ago with their famous “F them picks” strategy of trading draft picks for veteran players, but this season the Rams have fallen back to earth, and many have wondered if the Rams’ approach was viable in the long term. a long-term strategy for a team.
But Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made a startling comment on Wednesday, grouping this year’s NFC champion Eagles with last year’s Rams. Jones said the Rams and Eagles have gone all-in to win this year, while Jones wants the Cowboys to build for the long haul.
“Anyone who thinks I won’t take the risk has misinterpreted the tea leaves. But I’m thinking long term,” Jones said. “And I’m really hesitant to bet everything for a year. There are a lot of things that can happen that year. Essentially, we see a few teams that have had real success putting in their all and paying later, in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
But while Jones argues the Rams paid him off a year later, the Eagles had a fundamentally different approach. It’s true that the Eagles traded a first-round pick for wide receiver AJ Brown, but they only did so after a series of trades that left them in good stead with multiple first-round picks. And the Eagles also have two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Eagles also currently have more 2023 cap space than the Cowboys, so it’s hard to see how Jones can substantiate any claim that the Eagles went all-in as the Cowboys think longer term.
Still, Jones thinks the Rams and Eagles are similar.
“It’s pretty impressive to have two teams in the last two years empty the bucket and get to the Super Bowl,” Jones said. “But if you miss, it’s long.”
Jones said he doesn’t think the Cowboys should be the most aggressive team in free-agent trades and signings, or too hesitant to take risks.
“I like where we are right now, more in the middle,” Jones said.
The Eagles love where they are right now, in the Super Bowl.