FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys have developed a "pay-our-own'' philosophy when it comes to free agency and the salary cap, and COO Stephen Jones says the club continue with that philosophy this spring.

"I think our hands are going to be full paying our own guys," Jones said Monday on 105.3 The Fan. "People may not like it but we're not big advocates of free agency. I don't think we make our living out here paying for free agents. I don't see that being the case especially because we got some really good football players on our team that need to be paid."

In one regard, this is good news as it applies to defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who is coming off a franchise-tag season at $17.1 million and is again an unrestricted free agent. Said coach Jason Garrett, not generally given to hyperbole: "He's as big a priority as there is.” But on the surface, Stephen's suggestion that Dallas will not likely pay a 'high-profile' free agent from elsewhere this offseason would seem like the pursuit of Seattle Seahawks All-Pro safety is a no-go.

But I'm not buying it.

As we were first to report last spring, Dallas attempted to trade for Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas on multiple occasions, including during NFL Draft weekend, when the Cowboys considered giving up their second-round pick (before balking) and then offered their third-round pick (getting no response from Seattle). Thomas spent most of the season as a contract holdout before returning to Seattle in time to intercept Dak Prescott twice in the Cowboys loss to Seattle in Week 3 before sustaining a season-ending broken leg the very next week against Arizona.

The Cowboys have the cap room to do impactful things beyond the retention of Pro Bowler Lawrence. They absolutely have plans to negotiate an extension with wideout Amari Cooper (presently on the 2019 books for $13.9 million, with a contract structured the right way reducing the cap impact of that number) and they eventually plan to do the same with an extension with Prescott. At some point cornerback Byron Jones will be offered an extension, and that can happen for running back Ezekiel Elliott as well.

But none of those things financially preclude the Cowboys from chasing a big fish and in fact, with an expected $50 million of cap room available, it's almost as if Dallas "balanced its checkbook'' with designs on being able to add just the right player at just the right time -- that same logic coming into play in the Cowboys' refusal to give up a first-round pick for Thomas. Indeed, when asked specifically about adding a free-agent safety in the offseason, Jones back-peddled just a little bit, mentioning the upcoming draft and more ...

"We got a handful of draft picks and we'll go to work,'' Jones said. "It doesn't mean we won't play free agency at all.''

I will take the bet that Dallas explores the idea of the University of Texas product Thomas, and I will do so while wondering if Stephen's comment about not wanting to "pay a high-profile free agent'' is, in a way, the beginning of negotiations.