Stephen Jones: Cowboys 'Damn Sure' Won't Be 'Market-Setter' for New Contracts

The Dallas Cowboys are content with following rather than leading—at least when it comes to negotiating contracts. 

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones made that much clear Wednesday when discussing pending extensions for running back Ezekiel Elliott, quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver Amari Cooper on 96.7 KTCK The Ticket (h/t USA Today's Jori Epstein):

"We've got three really good football players that we're dealing with here and that have very good representation. And they want to see the market. We can't push the issue unless we want to be a market-setter. And we're damn sure not going to be a market-setter. 

"We want to be fair. We want our players to feel good about their contract. But at the same time, we don't want to do things that are out of line because we can't afford to be that way."

Jones' comments came after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier Wednesday the New Orleans Saints were giving receiver Michael Thomas a record-breaking five-year, $100 million extension with $61 million guaranteed to end his holdout. 

Elliott, meanwhile, is continuing to hold out from the Cowboys as training camp is underway. On Wednesday morning, NFL Network's Jane Slater reported a deal between the 24-year-old All-Pro and Dallas is not close:

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones seems to share the same sentiment as his son when it comes to the team's spending. On Tuesday, he said: "That's one of the dilemmas at running back, is that the league knows that you can win Super Bowls and not have the Emmitt Smith back there or the Zeke back there." 

Elliott still has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract. He's owed $3.85 million in base salary this season, per Spotrac.

Prescott is entering the final season of his rookie deal and has been negotiating with the Cowboys since the spring. Both sides have publicly expressed a commitment to getting a deal done, and the Pro Bowl quarterback seems to be the Cowboys' priority out of these three stars.

However, it would make little sense for the Cowboys to let Cooper enter free agency next season after they traded their 2019 first-round pick to the Raiders to acquire him in October.

In April, Cooper expressed he wasn't worried about his next contract. 

"I feel like they are active about it," the 25-year-old said, according to Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "They want to get it done ... They market has gone up. I am happy about that. I feel we are in a good place."

While Dallas could always franchise-tag Cooper, Thomas' deal set an even higher standard for star wideouts.

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Darius Butler played 8 years in the NFL...lacing them up for the Patriots, Panthers and Colts. He joins The Lefkoe Show for an hourlong conversation with Lefkoe that covers which Cowboy should get paid first (58:00), comparing Cam Newton and Andrew Luck as rookies (25:25) and the culture shock of playing for the Patriots (9:50).