The NFL is entering the last year of the salary cap under the current collective bargaining agreement, so Jones is getting ready for 2010, when he believes there won't be a cap.

"That uncapped year has a lot of ramifications because it's the initiation of no labor agreement at all," Jones said Sunday during a break from the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. "That has a real impact in what you want to do in an uncapped year.

"You could burn your britches for the next five years if you're not careful in an uncapped year."

While Jones doesn't expect a cap in 2010, rules are in place to keep teams from spending wildly then, such as a limited ability to sign players for teams that make the playoffs in 2009.

New rules for this year change things, too. Signing bonuses can be prorated only five years; a player's salary cannot increase by more than 30 percent on a year-to-year basis, which chews up more cap room; and incentives unlikely to be earned must be accounted for against the cap.

"That's a significant thing this year that, in my mind, will effectively cut available dollars as much as 20 percent," Jones said.

Jones said the Cowboys will make some roster moves this week but not because they need room to slide under the $123 million salary cap. Two candidates to be released would be safety Roy Williams and backup quarterback Brad Johnson, which would create roughly $4 million in space, although Jones would not get into specifics.

The Cowboys figure to have roughly $10 million of salary cap room but have yet to decide on the offers they will tender to their five restricted free agents - Miles Austin, Stephen Bowen, Cory Procter, Tony Curtis and Sam Hurd.

Austin, Bowen, Procter and Hurd could be given the $1.545 million tender, which would require a team to give up a second-round pick as compensation. Curtis may not be tendered, which would make him free to sign elsewhere.

"It would surprise me to see a big splash," Jones said of the team's involvement in Free Agency.

That would seem to eliminate the possibility of adding Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis, who has expressed interest in joining the Cowboys to some players.

The Cowboys have had talks this weekend with the agents for several of their free agents to be, including defensive end Chris Canty, but a deal will not happen before Friday.

"They drafted Chris and gave him an opportunity, and I think he'll do well in the free-agency period," said his agent, Brad Blank. "That's the way the business works."

The Cowboys have also had talks with the agent for linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who is entering the final year of his contract. The Cowboys are following a trend in which they have re-signed players with a year to go on their contracts to multi-year deals, among them Williams, Jason Witten, Bradie James and Terence Newman.

"He's a top priority, DeMarcus," Jones said. "DeMarcus is one of those guys we've got to have."