Though the Cowboys might have the ammunition, with two first-round picks and running back Marion Barber, to spring into the top five of the NFL draft to make a play for Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, Jerry says he’s not gonna do it.

And we’ll believe him only when it doesn’t happen.

Our own MDS writes on the topic for the New York Times; Jones made the declaration earlier this week that he won’t make the move north in round one.

His reluctance doesn’t flow from what it takes to trade up.  It comes from what it costs to draft a player that high.

“A team can get crippled, and I mean seriously crippled, from a financial standpoint by being up there in the top five or six,” Jones told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  “It’s a real negative.  Nobody wants in there, and the teams in there, they want out.”

He’s right.  We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again — forcing the worst team in the league to pay up to $35 million in guaranteed money for one unproven player isn’t the way to restore competitive balance.  And so teams like the Miami Dolphins who would love to trade down won’t find a partner, unless if the Jimmy Johnson draft trade chart is relaxed to reflect the financial undesirability of the high-end picks.  Given the picks that need to be surrendered to move up and the money to be paid to the player that is drafted at a high position, trading up to the top of the round makes no sense.

Of course, that’s what Jones’ comments might be aimed at forcing.  Surely, if Jones already had a pick in the top five, he’d be twitching like Raymond Babbitt over the opportunity to land McFadden.  Remember the Scouting Combine?  Jones couldn’t contain his glee when D-Mac ran the 40 in a blazing 4.33 seconds.

Yeah, Jones wants him.  Jones can try to deny it, but we don’t buy it.  The game here, in our view, is all about getting the Fins to take less than the outdated trade chart would currently dictates for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.