Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott contract shouldn’t be delayed further
The Dallas Cowboys have not gotten a contract extension with Dak Prescott done yet but it’s high time to hand out a payday to the quarterback.
Handing out a new contract to quarterback Dak Prescott has hung over the Dallas Cowboys offseason from the jump. While they got top-tier defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence taken care of, paying the franchise signal-caller has been a hot topic since the Divisional Round loss to the Rams. However, the time has since passed to end the debate and pay No. 4.
Yes, that’s a daunting proposition for owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. Per a report from Clarence Hill Jr. at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Prescott’s agent has thrown out a figure of $34 million per year. It’s worth noting that this could be the high end of negotiations but it’s still relevant to get a ballpark idea of how much Dallas will have to pay the quarterback.
Having said that, this is a league where you have to pay quarterbacks inordinate amounts of money to keep them around. That’s why teams like the aforementioned Rams have rushed to build their rosters quickly with their quarterback on a rookie deal. A rookie contract under center makes filling out the rest of the 52 spots that much easier in terms of the salary cap.
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Because of that, there are surely fans and analysts alike who have floated the notion of moving on from Prescott and bringing in a highly drafted rookie to take over for the Cowboys offense. That notion, however, is a fallacy.
First, there’s the simple fact that Dallas is not going to be in a position in the 2020 NFL Draft to take a top-tier quarterback that’s worth moving on from a proven commodity like Prescott for. This is a team that won the NFC East last year and should compete to do so again in 2019. A pick in the 20s isn’t landing the Cowboys Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert, and moving up from there via trade would cost the farm.
If that weren’t enough, though, the Cowboys have built their roster around Prescott to this point. The receiving options, run game and offensive line are all in place to help him succeed. Moving on from him would negate that work. Furthermore, as Dallas has set him up for success, Prescott has succeeded, leading the team to 13-3 in 2016 and 10-6 this past season.
This all paves the way to paying Dak Prescott right now regardless of anything else. However, perhaps the most important reason to show some urgency at this point is the simple fact that the earlier a deal gets done, the better deal it will be for the team. It’s not by accident that the $34 million figure is now being floated after Carson Wentz, who quarterbacks the division-rival Eagles, signed an extension with an annual value of $32 million.
Subsequently, getting a deal done sooner likely means that the figure will not continue to rise. Not only is that important from just a baseline level but also in the fact that even a $34 million per year figure will not be as daunting if the salary cap rises exponentially as it’s predicted to. The deal will only look better as the cap rises and more quarterbacks sign extensions and new contracts.
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Had the Cowboys worked out a deal with Prescott prior to Wentz’s extension, they could’ve likely gotten a better price. Instead, they are now in this position by their own making. And while there are other key pieces such as Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper and Jaylon Smith that will need new deals too, Dallas needs to pick up the pace and get a deal done with Dak Prescott as soon as possible.