From a fan’s perspective, it can be easy to focus on player performance from week-to-week and take good ownership and team management for granted. While trades, free agent negotiations, and draft picks are often critiqued, once the game kicks off, any blame usually falls on players and coaches. The Baltimore Ravens are one team benefitting from excellent ownership and management, and fans should be thankful Jerry Jones is not running their team, especially after his latest move.
Jones and the Dallas Cowboys refused to pay their defensive centerpiece in Micah Parsons, and after a ton of turmoil over the offseason, they opted to trade him to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Following the deal, the Packers immediately gave Parsons the money he deserves, agreeing to a four-year $188 million contract with $136 million in total guarantees.
Everyone knows the blunder by Jones is one of his most embarrassing, but this has become typical from him. The way he talks to and about players, and how he conducts contract negotiations, can be flat-out disrespectful. The trade and the press conference following the news, confirms he is one of the worst owners and general managers in sports, and the success from Ravens’ owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Eric DeCosta stands out that much more.
Ravens fans should be thankful Jerry Jones isn’t running their team
Trading a player of Parsons-caliber is a move DeCosta would never make unless he absolutely had to. All the chips were on the table for the Cowboys to extend Parsons, but a cluster of failures on Jones' behalf led to the four-time Pro Bowler requesting a trade. Baltimore’s last contract negotiation that saw similar struggles was Lamar Jackson’s current deal, and eventually, Bisciotti and DeCosta were able to work that out to perfection.
Unlike Jones, Bisciotti and DeCosta never tried to pressure Jackson into a deal. As Baltimore fans remember, the extension took a long time to work out, but the front office eventually came to their senses and agreed on a deal. It seems like Jones could have taken a page out of the Ravens’ book, but unfortunately for Cowboys fans, he shot himself in the foot yet again.
Dallas has remained competitive more often than not in recent years, but their owner’s actions always have the team sputtering out of control, and they will have to try and steady their ship yet again. It is a feeling Ravens fans have never had to endure, and they should be extremely thankful.