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OXNARD, Calif. -- Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones opened training camp by declaring war on the NFL in the ongoing investigation into domestic violence allegations against star running back Ezekiel Elliott. The NFL has ended its year-long investigation into the accusations brought against Elliott by a former girlfriend.
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The Columbus (Ohio) attorney's office dropped the case because of "conflicting and inconsistent" information. Elliott has maintained his innocence all along.
ESPN has reported that Elliott should brace for a one- or two-game suspension.
But Jones let it be known at the start of training camp that Elliott did nothing wrong and he should not be punished.
It was a clear and present message to the NFL that Jones is ready to fight if he is indeed suspended.
"There's nothing ... I have reviewed everything as you know. There is absolutely nothing, not one thing, that I've seen that has anything to do with domestic violence," Jones said. "I don't want to answer any more. But I've seen nothing."
Jones was absolute in his comments, just as he was a year ago. He has long maintained that the NFL had no cause and no case.
The only thing that has changed recently is the NFL has completed its report. Elliott and the NFL Players Association have submitted "a final response" to the league.
Jones claims he has seen the report. Nothing has changed his mind.
"I found nothing since we were standing here this time last year," Jones said. "And I knew everything in that report, I knew that this time last year. Those are their concerns because you need to get this stuff behind you."
Jones not only claims that nothing happened, but that there is not a discrepancy among the participants.
"My opinion is there is not even an issue of 'he said, she said,'" Jones said. "There is not even an issue there."
The NFL doesn't need a court conviction or even a court case to levy discipline against a player for conduct detrimental to the league.
The league has a taken a long time investigating this case to make sure it gets it right after so many past mistakes.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the league "wants to pin something" on Elliott as a lesson for his repeated mistakes in judgement.
But Jones is not going to let it happen without a fight.
And he is seemingly not going to let his upcoming induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame get in the way of his battle with the NFL over Elliott.
He brought up the New England Patriots as an example of a team that overcame the distraction of quarterback Tom Brady's four-game suspension last season and went on to win the Super Bowl.
Seemingly, the bigger lesson for Jones comes from Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who admittedly regretted not fighting the NFL sanctions and penalties from the Deflategate controversy.
"I don't want to in any way speculate," Jones said. "I don't know that there's anything I could say that might influence, but I don't want anything I've said over the last week to be interpreted as a feeling or a speculation about his status, relative to a suspension. It shouldn't be. It should be just reflective as what I am here and what I know."
ROOKIE TO WATCH
CB Chidobe Awuzie will start out at outside cornerback with hopes of breaking into the starting lineup. He will also be given reps at nickel, but could eventually be competing with Jeff Heath for the starting spot at strong safety. The Cowboys want to find a way to get him on the field.
