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First Mediator, Then Decision Maker

IRVING, Tex. — Stephen Jones chuckles at the memory of being a mediator between his father, Jerry Jones, the Cowboys’ owner, and Bill Parcells, the headstrong former coach.

“It was tough, tough, tough,” said Stephen Jones, the No. 2 executive in the Dallas front office. “But it was worth it.”

Jones said it helped shape him into what he is today, the person perceived by some to be calling the shots for the Cowboys as the team’s chief operating officer, executive vice president and director of player personnel.

The Cowboys have picked foundation over flash in recent drafts and decided not to stress the salary cap with a big contract for DeMarco Murray after he led the N.