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Stephen Jones: Restructuring contracts improves Cowboys' chances of winning title in next 2-4 years

INDIANAPOLIS -- If you follow the Cowboys you're used to it by now. Every offseason there's news about players restructuring their contracts.

A portion of the deal is turned into a signing bonus, reducing the players' current salary cap number but impacting future cap space. When the Cowboys make these moves, they are factoring in a constantly increasing salary cap.

Dallas recently did this with contracts belonging to Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick. Executive vice president Stephen Jones said Tuesday from the scouting combine that more restructures could be coming this offseason.

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"We've got a good feel for what we're doing in terms of when you push money out," Jones said. "At some point, you've got to pay for those guys. Certainly, if, Tony [Romo] for example, it's a situation where, at some point we'll have to get that contract whole under the salary cap. But once it's cleared you gain a lot of room back.

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"It's just a philosophy we have. It's not necessarily for everybody, but we certainly think we can have success with it, especially when you start to get your hands on a team like this, it allows you to give it a chance to win a championship over the next two, three, four years here."

How does Jones feel about those who criticize the Cowboys for routinely "kicking the can down the road?"

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"They've been saying that forever," he responded. "To me, it comes due if and when the salary cap goes flat to down, which it can't do under our labor agreement. If that flattens out and you don't have growth in our league, which obviously that's one of the reasons Jerry [Jones] is in the Hall of Fame. He's a huge proponent and had a big finger and a big hand in growing our league.

"We're big believers that the league has a bright future, led by our commissioner and the ownership that we have in the NFL. We feel strongly that our league is going to continue to grow."

Briefly

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Nothing has been finalized, but the Cowboys are expected to hold training camp in more than one location this season. They will open camp in Oxnard, Calif. around July 18 before traveling to Canton, Ohio for the Aug. 3 Hall of Fame Game.

The Cowboys are then expected to return to California and play their second preseason game on the West Coast. Following that game, they will return home and finish the remainder of camp at their practice facility, The Star in Frisco.

It has not been determined if or how many practices at The Star will be open to the public.