The Cowboys were on the front foot in negotiating with Javonte, but things took a back seat. Now we know why.
It wouldn't be a Dallas Cowboys offseason without some contract drama, and with George Pickens the big headline-maker, Cowboys Nation better strap themselves in.
With the Cowboys developing a reputation for dragging their feet in negotiations, it is no wonder many feel George's contract will drag out.
But he isn't the only key free agent for Brian Schottenheimer.
The other is running back Javonte Williams.
After a career-best season totaling 1,201 yards and 11 TDs, Williams is seen as a key piece of what Schottenheimer is building.
And it appears the Cowboys think so, too.
We have already heard Cowboys COO Stephen Jones state the desire to sign Williams to a multi-year deal this offseason, so that is positive.
And now the Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins has revealed that the Cowboys have already begun talks with Javonte, but revealed why things haven't progressed.
"The Cowboys front office has taken criticism for not finishing deals with its star players in a timely manner," Watkins wrote. "Well, the Cowboys have tried to take care of business with running back Javonte Williams, but he switched agents and currently doesn’t have one.
"When the season ended, Cowboys officials started talks with Williams’ agent at the time, then had to halt discussions with the agent change."
So now we wait to see when the Cowboys will resume talks with Javonte.
With the Scouting Combine just around the corner, that is generally the place where they heat up. Now, will a deal get done there? Not likely.
But it will play a key role in figuring out where each party stands, and then they can work toward what will most likely be a multi-year deal at say, $7 million APY.
The Cowboys have taken a lot of heat for how they have dealt with contracts in the past, and rightly so, but it appears that at least with Javonte, they wanted to be proactive.
A sign that times are changing in Dallas? Possibly.
Or it might be as simple as Williams being the first player to say yes to contract talks.
There's a lot to play out over the coming weeks and months for the Cowboys, and yes, getting Pickens signed is the top priority. But so too is making sure Javonte's future is sorted.