Jerry Jones had one job: fix the Cowboys’ broken run game. Dallas finished 2024 with a run game that was about as effective as a screen door on a submarine—27th in the league with just 100.3 rushing yards per game. With a 7-10 record and no clear RB1 heading into 2025, it was obvious that Jones had to make a move.

Free agency? Nope, he sat that one out. “I’m not looking at free agency as the place to fill voids.” That left the NFL Draft as the last lifeline. Enter Ashton Jeanty, the Boise State phenom, who has been linked to the Cowboys for months. The perfect fit and the ideal solution. The future of Dallas’ backfield—until the Raiders decided to meddle.

Yup! JJ might be watching his top target get snatched right out of his hands—by none other than Pete Carroll and the $6.7 billion Las Vegas Raiders (that number is just to rub the salt on his wound). It’s not just a setback; it’s a straight-up gut punch. And if you listen closely, you can probably hear Cowboys fans groaning all the way from AT&T Stadium.

And boy, the Raiders couldn’t have made it anymore clearer than this. They want to raid Dallas off their target. Crazy. Guess what? They are under pressure to do so. GM John Spytek threw gasoline on the fire when he said, “My oldest son (Jack) has made it no secret that if we don’t pick Ashton Jeanty at 6, he’s walking out of the family.” That wasn’t just a joke—it was a sign.

Jack’s endorsement is so strong that he doesn’t even care about his dad’s job. John added, “He walked right into our building and basically told Mark Davis if my dad doesn’t take Ashton Jeanty, he’s doing a bad job.”

So, if they don’t take Jack’s words lightly, then the Big D better be sure that the Raiders aren’t just considering Jeanty (even EssentiallySports’ mock draft called it); they might be locked in. And considering Pete Carroll’s obsession with a strong run game, it all makes way too much sense.

Carroll built his Seahawks dynasty on power running backs. Marshawn Lynch. Chris Carson. Even Rashaad Penny when healthy. Now, with a Geno Smith reunion in Vegas and a system that screams “run-first,” Jeanty fits like a glove. The guy racked up 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns last season—numbers that almost broke Barry Sanders’ single-season record.

So, if you’re the Raiders and you’re sitting at No. 6, do you take a potential Marshawn 2.0? Of course you do. That’s where the Cowboys’ problem starts. With the 12th overall pick, they can’t afford to play the waiting game. They need a dominant back. But if Jeanty is off the board, what’s the plan? Because Emmitt Smith has already warned about taking an RB in Round 1, saying Dallas has bigger problems to fix—like an offensive line that couldn’t create lanes if their lives depended on it. So, what’s it gonna be, JJ?

Jerry Jones carries the Ls rather gracefully

Jerry Jones just took another loss. Not on the field. This one came in Florida, at the NFL’s annual meetings, where he somehow managed to fumble everything from the Micah Parsons contract situation to his draft strategy.

Let’s start with Parsons. The guy is the heart of Dallas’ defense, yet when asked about his extension, Jones shrugged it off like it was some mid-season depth signing. “Not urgent at all,” he said. Bold words, considering Parsons is watching every other elite pass rusher cash in while he’s left wondering if Jerry even knows his agent’s number.

Speaking of the agent, Parsons’ rep, David Mulugheta, caught a stray from Jones too—because what’s an NFL meeting without Jerry making things personal? Unsurprisingly, Parsons fired back. The Cowboys’ franchise player publicly beefing with the owner before a contract extension? Yeah, that’s definitely a page from the Dallas Dysfunction Playbook.

Meanwhile, over in draft discussions, Jones is facing another problem: the Raiders are about to steal his guy. With all the Spytek family’s obsession over Jeanty, this simply means that Dallas better have a Plan B.

And then, there’s the draft strategy. Or lack thereof. Jones keeps insisting that Dallas isn’t desperate for a running back, despite the team currently having zero RB1s under contract. So, what’s the move? Gamble on a second-tier back in later rounds? Jones is playing it cool, but fans aren’t buying it.

All in all, it’s been a rough week for Jerry. A Parsons-sized headache, a stolen draft target, and a PR mess at the league meetings. But hey, taking Ls is part of the Cowboys’ brand at this point—Jerry just wears them with style.