Raiders Join Byron Sweepstakes as Cowboys Get 'Intense' With Amari and Quinn
The Dallas Cowboys have, with words and deeds, made their free-agency pecking order fairly clear.
Dak Prescott is the "family member'' priority, so the front office met with his representative on Wednesday in Indianapolis. Amari Cooper is the No. 2 guy on the totem pole, so the front office met with his rep on Thursday. (A Saturday report claims the Amari talks "are about to intensify,'' when it seems the Thursday meeting is an indicator of some existing "intensity.'' But we'll monitor.) And Byron Jones' rep got the Friday meeting - and got what amounts to an "amicable'' goodbye in a situation we've long-described as Jones "getting squeezed.'
Meanwhile, CowboysSI.com has been told that Dallas' view of Robert Quinn puts him on a plane at or above Byron's - so maybe a meeting with Quinn's agent is being tucked in here, too.
Part of the Cowboys' thinking on the departure of Jones is that he'll be the top-paid cornerback in 2020 NFL free agency, and that they "like'' him at a level below that. And now along come the Las Vegas Raiders, with $50 million in cap room and a possible desire to prioritize the pursuit of Jones, a Byron Sweepstakes that figures to also include the Denver Broncos and the Philadelphia Eagles.
After free agency opens March 18, it's simply very unlikely that Jones falls through the cracks. Same goes for Quinn, who has stated to CowboysSI.com a desire to come back to Dallas, an idea that has owner Jerry Jones' blessing. But it's a mistake to think that a Byron parting means the automatic retention of Quinn.
While Jones may go get himself $15 million APY as a corner, Quinn could in theory do the same as a pass-rusher ... and the Cowboys could lose both of them. (Quinn recently told us that he's never experienced free agency before and seemed intrigued about doing so.)
New coach Mike McCarthy has essentially said he'd like to stockpile his roster with pass-rushers; that's a reason to favor Quinn over Jones. But guarantees are few right now for Dallas, which has 24 free agents from the 2019 and can't even be certain about the happy re-signing of quarterback Prescott and wide receiver Cooper, in part because the possible ratification of a new CBA will mean the use of a tag on only one of them.
Dallas is trying right now to finalize deals with Prescott, with Cooper and maybe they can do it with Quinn, too. Get it all done before March 12 and tags aren't an issue. Get it all done by March 18 and free agency isn't an issue, either, as the Cowboys will be able to proudly boast that while they lost the best cornerback on the market, they retained the best quarterback, the best receiver and the best pass-rusher.
It'll be a big day. But at this moment, it seems like there is a lot of distance and a lot of "intensity'' between now and then.
