Enigma Machine Breaks Code: Jones Says T.O. Will Be in Dallas in '09

On Tuesday, Jerry Jones had a brief meet and greet with the media. He was willing to answer any questions that didn't pertain to the Cowboys roster. Which is sorta like A-Rod convening a press conference to only talk about his thoughts on sweaters Fred Rogers might like.

Ultimately, Jerry caved, but before finally giving in he did reveal that George Strait would headline the first act in the Cowboys' new stadium. So there's that. Jones also hinted that Terrell Owens would be back for his fourth season in Dallas. At least that's how his somewhat cryptic comments are being divined.

"You and I both know that the one [player] you're asking about all the time, if I gave you the answer that you want to hear, then you would have already had it," Jones said. "So the fact you don't have it ought to tell you something."

To interpret: You guys have been talking about T.O. all offseason, and if I were going to get rid of him, you'd already know about it. Since he's still with the team, he's staying. How does my hair look?

Of course, Jones could just be talking in circles, or even if keeping Owens are his intentions, he's surely capable of changing his mind. There are legitimate cases for both sides of the T.O. argument, but, like most things, the move could boil down to money.

The Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins points out that "If the Cowboys release Owens he counts $9.6 million against the salary cap. That's a high number to have on the cap for a player not on the roster. Currently, Owens' cap number is $8.995 million."

More than that, though, Owens' is arguably the team's best player. Whatever your thoughts on his antics (and, at this point, I think his reputation precedes him), the Cowboys are a worse team with Roy Williams as the No. 1 wideout. And Jones certainly understands this.