Former Dallas Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton knows what it’s like to play for Jerry Jones, having spent six productive seasons with the Cowboys as their WR3. He also knows how the Joneses operate when negotiating contract extensions, having signed a four-year extension with Dallas back in 2007. After seeing how the offseason has gone for George Pickens thus far, Crayton weighed in on what he believes is driving this ongoing situation.
During an interview on the DLLS podcast, Crayton sat down with his former teammate Jesse Holley and explained why he believes Jones’ vendetta against agent David Mulugheta is the driving force, leaving Pickens as collateral damage. Mulugheta, who represents former Cowboy Micah Parsons, in Jones eyes was the main reason for Parsons’ departure last season. Now Mulugheta’s representing Pickens and Crayton is putting the pieces together, giving his opinion on the situation, while also giving Pickens some advice on his franchise tag situation.
Here’s what Crayton has to say about Jones and Mulugheta.
“It’s almost like there’s no intentions to get a long-term deal because they’ve already said they’re not going to negotiate a long-term deal underneath this franchise tag. That’s already key right there when they’re telling you that. And being that, I’m not going to lie, Mr. Jones probably do have a vendetta against Mulugheta, his agent, he doesn’t like him. It is what it is.”
When Holley asked Crayton what advice he’d give Pickens, he had this to say.
“I’m saying keep auditioning for other teams and everything and stuff like that and then go somewhere else and get your money and stuff. So I can’t tell nobody how they need to worry about their finances and try to handle their career. I think the one can one thing you can say is yes, it is a lot of money. It’s a one-year deal and people are like, but dude, it’s 28 million. I’m like, it is and that’s a ton of money and that and that is generational money. That is great. He ain’t never seen that in his life whatsoever. So that is great. But for what the owners make.So I can’t say, hey man, just be happy with the franchise, say, because to me man, the franchise tag is a way of, of saying. Yeah, we want you, but we don’t know if we really want you long term. I’m cool with us dating for a second, but let’s see how it works out just in case.”
Crayton’s opinion about Jones’ hypothetical vendetta against Mulugheta, on the surface, makes sense with the Parsons negotiations debacle and the eventual trade. But that’s where it ends. Jones and Mulugheta have completed two deals this offseason, signing safeties Malik Hooker and P.J. Locke. While they aren’t looking to cash in the way Pickens has been, if Jones truly had a vendetta, he could have been petty and taken his business elsewhere.
No, for Pickens, this boils down to three things. Mainly, the lack of teams willing to trade for a player with a troubling past with the Pittsburgh Steelers and troubling reports out of Dallas. Second, the Cowboys want to see another productive season out of Pickens. Lastly, they have concerns about how paying two receivers top-of-the-market money will affect their salary cap and long-term team building.
Mulugheta is an easy target for Crayton and others, but he isn’t the real roadblock for Pickens. Jones and the Cowboys are playing the long game with Pickens, hoping he builds on last season’s production; they weren’t going to pay that much money for one season’s worth of production. Pickens playing on the franchise tag is more of an investment guarantee, just in case things go sideways.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Former Cowboys WR claim of Jones vendetta hurting Pickens doesn’t jibe
Reporting by Terence Watson , Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
