Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones joined the K&C Masterpiece on 105.3 The Fan for the first time this season on Friday morning, just as he will do every week during the season, in addition to his weekly visit every Tuesday morning on Shan and RJ.
And just as we (the media and the fans) do every week when Jerry speaks, listen intently to try and decipher what Jones is saying when discussing an important topic such as the one he addressed on Friday - the Dak Prescott contract negotiations and where things stand with Week 1 of the NFL season kicking off for the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland.
Jones typically gives long-winded answers when he wants to get a message across, just as he did a week ago when he insinuated that the hold-up in negotiations with Prescott was their decision rather than what Prescott had done on the field.
But this time, there wasn't anything to decipher... or was there?
"I won't be discussing anything at all about Dak (Prescott's) business or contract at this particular time," Jones said.
The comment could mean that nothing is imminent with the quarterback, however, some on the Cowboys beat, including Clarence Hill of DLLS, who reported on Thursday that a potential new deal is "closer than it has been," and Nick Harris of DallasCowboys.com took notice of the Joneses' recent change in tone when providing updates on negotiations with Prescott.
Harris pointed out that Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones was "a lot more hush" during his visit with 94.1 San Antonio's Sports Star than he had been recently while discussing the status of the negotiations, as was Jerry on Friday on The Fan. Hill responded to that observation by saying, "The quiet before the storm.'
Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports, who previously covered the Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News, also took notice of how "unusually mum" Jones was when asked about Prescott.
Jones' non-answer could mean nothing is coming down the pike, but when he or any front office member in the NFL suddenly stops negotiating through the media, it often means something is afoot. Stay tuned.