Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ 1992 NFL draft decision a bellwether in Micah Parsons’ contract dispute, trade request originally appeared on The Sporting News
Jerry Jones is, unsurprisingly, but characteristically, being a stickler with Micah Parsons in contract negotiations. It’s why the star EDGE and the Dallas Cowboys are at a standstill, following the 26-year-old’s highly publicized trade request, as the preseason reaches its midpoint and the regular season looms in less than a month.
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CBS Sports’ Joel Corry isn’t necessarily surprised, having seen firsthand how Jones likes his deals done: on his terms and swiftly.
Corry shared a story from the 1992 NFL draft, when Jones tried to persuade receiver Jimmy Smith to accept a below-market deal, even before being selected by the Cowboys.
“Jones has a long history of trying to circumvent agents when negotiating contracts. I have witnessed it firsthand. When I was just getting started in athlete representation, the firm I worked for represented Jimmy Smith. Our expectation was Smith would be taken in the latter part of the first round in the 1992 NFL Draft. He was considered the third best wide receiver prospect available,” Corry wrote.
“Jones called Smith while the Cowboys were on the clock to tell him he was going to be taken 36th overall but only if he agreed to a contract before the pick was made. Smith, who was already feeling some anxiety because NFL teams were waiting to draft wide receivers, agreed to Jones’ below-market terms.
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“The Cowboys drew criticism from agents and other teams for using this tactic with several of their 1992 draftees because it violated conventional draft protocol.
“My bosses called Jones to let him know the verbal agreement wasn’t binding and any negotiations would be with them. A deal appropriate for Smith’s draft position was subsequently negotiated. Because of the Cowboys’ tactics, all future draft eligible clients we signed were given instructions on how to handle the situation Smith faced.”
The court of public opinion is in Parsons’s favor almost by default. Jones has been known to deploy slimy tactics for so long that it’s practically assumed at this point that he’s being exploitative in almost everything he does.