Patience? How long does it take to build a roster? 10 years?
Jerry and Stephen's plan seems to be let's just build a decent roster so we don't totally stink but not take the steps to build a great, SB winning roster.
Here's another problem with looking "long term"........... when you finally fill some holes through the draft, you have then seen another position get weaker, and then you address that and develop it and by the time you reap those benefits, another position or area needs help and the cycle just continues. Case in point, look at the OL. Smith is showing signs of deteriorating with a bad back, Frederick is an unknown coming off an auto-immune disease. In a couple of years, we may have to revamp the OL again when we probably should have built a super bowl caliber roster to take advantage of what was the best OL in their prime.
Essentially, the Cowboys plan is based largely on luck. Build a decent, but not elite roster and hope you get lucky in a SB run.