ATLANTA -- Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thinks Jon Bon Jovi rocks. And Jones isn’t just talking about the New Jersey-born superstar’s music.

Jones considers Bon Jovi a friend and endorses the 52-year-old rocker as a potentially “outstanding” bidder for the Buffalo Bills.

“I don’t know of anyone that I have any more respect for as a father, or as a husband, or certainly as a potential business partner,” Jones said at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead during the NFL’s spring owners meetings.

“Jon Bon Jovi is first class.”

Bon Jovi is partnered with Larry Tannenbaum of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, a group widely believed to be willing to bid on the Bills’ franchise if it hits the market.

Jones, 71, added that Bon Jovi has impressed several owners with his zeal to join their fraternity. He has been a frequent guest of Bill Belichick at New England Patriots functions.

John Mara, the New York Giants’ president CEO, disagreed with Jones.

“We’re obviously hoping for the best possible ownership, and most of us are hoping for a situation that allows them to remain in Buffalo,” Mara said Tuesday afternoon while taking a break from the NFL’s spring meeting.

“The team means so much to that area,” he told the Buffalo News. “It’s been a great franchise for the league. I think most of the people in that room would like to see it remain in Buffalo.”

The founder and former owner of the Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul, Bon Jovi expressed interest in purchasing a 15 per cent stake of the Atlanta Falcons in 2011.

“He knows many of the owners, personally,” Jones said. “All owners know of him. But he knows them personally. He’s committed. He’s very genuine. You talk about individuals and talk about their qualification -- there hasn’t been anybody more qualified to be involved in sports ownership, or certainly ownership in the NFL, than Jon Bon Jovi.”

Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson died March 25.

Out of respect to Wilson’s legacy, Jones was careful not to speculate about the Bills’ future. The organization has yet to announce the investment bank that would run the sale for the trustees of Wilson’s estate.

However the current lease at Ralph Wilson Stadium virtually keeps the Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y. through the 2019 season.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said at last week’s draft: “The intention is that whoever buys the team will be trying to make the team work in western New York.”

Jones piggybacked on those feelings.

“Personally, I’m grateful for the great fans and support for NFL football that we have in northern New York, and certainly as it is right now,” Jones said. “They’re in the Toronto market area. Having said that, that will sort itself out by people who are going to be closer to it than I am.

“From the standpoint of what the Buffalo Bills mean to the NFL, they are not only part of its heritage but certainly a part of what makes this game what it is today.”

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Then Jones acknowledged the bottom line as far as the membership is concerned.

“Now having said all of that, we will always be looking for ways of not only growing the pie but also growing the fan base to the extent that you can involve more fans on any team location,” he said.

“That’s something to consider.”

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