Dallas Cowboys Tanking to Sign Dak Prescott to Cheap Deal? Outrageous, Moronic Claim from NFL Exec

The Dallas Cowboys' tightened purse strings has one anonymous NFL executive thinking they are purposely trying to worsen the team next season so they can sign quarterback Dak Prescott to a cheaper contract extension.

Could the Dallas Cowboys' offseason plans be changing from “all in,” as team owner Jerry Jones once proclaimed, to trying to self-sabotage their own season in an attempt to save money on an eventual Dak Prescott contract extension? 

As crazy of an idea as it sounds, it is the opinion of one anonymous NFL executive. In a recent article from The Athletic’s Mike Sando, three executives from around the league gave their thoughts on the Cowboys’ offseason. However, one in particular stands out from the rest.

“If the guy wants $60 million a year, you know what we are going to do instead?” one anonymous executive told the Athletic of the Cowboys’ offseason, hypothesizing about Dallas' view. “We are going to have an average team, and you are going to play worse and we are going to get you at a better price.”

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Our insta-reaction? This is an outrageous guess at what would be a moronic plan.

Trying to “do more with less” has become the tagline for the Cowboys this offseason. They have let key contributors from last season’s team, like left tackle Tyron Smith, center Tyler Biadasz, running back Tony Pollard, and others, walk in free agency without bringing in any replacements. 

So, yes, the executive is right (about one thing): The Cowboys' roster has gotten worse this offseason.

However, the Cowboys’ cautious spending isn’t limited to Prescott. Even standout receiver CeeDee Lamb, who had a career year where he set multiple franchise records, could - in the eyes of some worried critics - be a casualty of the team's newly found tight purse strings. During the NFL Owners’ Meetings, Jones sparked controversy with his remarks, seemingly questioning whether re-signing Lamb would be worth losing out on four or five other players.

Jones even went as far as to utter the phrase “whoever has CeeDee'' (meaning, "whichever team employs CeeDee''), which is certainly not something fans want to hear when discussing their top play-maker.

And of course, the Micah Parsons extension sits and waits as well.

But let's dig into the logic of this anonymous executive and this ridiculous idea: The Cowboys are taking a 12-5 playoff roster and throwing away the chance to win in 2024 ... so in spring of 2025, they can talk Dak into signing for, say, $55 million APY instead of $60 million APY?

Tanking a season is worth $5 million of cap space? No.

Dak would be more inclined to re-sign for less with a losing Dallas team that he would with a winning Dallas team? No.

Other NFL teams who would've bid on Dak as a 2025 free agent will be scared off because Dallas tanked? No?

We still believe that it is more likely that the plan inside The Star in Frisco is, as our own Mike Fisher has often explained, the “blow it up” plan. ... which is to say, the Cowboys have decided that this roster, as presently constructed, isn't good enough for the long term. So it gets its "all in'' chance in 2024 ... and then comes a 2025 renovation ... with or without Prescott.