Cowboys Contracts: 'Not Nervous' About 'Amazing' Dak
"We're not nervous to sign Dak.''
This has been a tumultuous NFL season for the Dallas Cowboys, filled with unknowns - and worse, "knowns'' that are rather disastrous.
But contrary to many who think Dak Prescott belongs on that list of puzzlements, Cowboys ownership remains at committed as ever to its franchise QB. So there can be questions about "nervousness'' ... but the Jones family believes it has the right answers.
"Our issues in our negotiations with Dak have been we're wanting to be more committed in terms of the term," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. "His makeup is all the right things. He's an amazing man off the field, he's a great leader in our locker room, a great player and that's why we've wanted to sign him long-term.''
As Cowboys fans know, the reason that deal isn't already done - leaving the now season-injured Prescott on his one-year, $31.4 million tag contract - is because the QB preferred a shorter-term deal, and management a longer tie.
Somehow, some critics have spun that (and the $35 mil APY salary that was part of Dallas' offer) as a "lack of commitment.'' Prescott and agent Todd France obviously viewed the Cowboys' offer (which we reported to be of five years and including $110 million guaranteed) as "not enough'' ... vastly different than "insulting.''
Cowboys management may have an issue with France; that's one reason players hire agents, to take the brunt of that abuse. But there is no real conflict between the player and a franchise he loyalty continues to refer to as "my team.''
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Dallas will tag Dak again next offseason, if a long-term deal cannot be forged. At that time, Prescott will play for $38.8 million - putting a burden on the Cowboys' cap flexibility. That's another reason the Joneses want to get it done right.
"When you sign a player long-term,'' Stephen said, "you've got more flexibility in how you work the salary cap with a player who's gonna eat up a big percentage of your cap when you're talking about a quarterback."
It''s been wrongly reported that "Dallas and Prescott have been discussing a possible extension for months.'' That isn't legal; the Cowboys can only begin talks with the 27-year-old Pro Bowl QB after the team's season is completed. But they will get there, and one way or another, the goal is that Dak will become the highest-paid player in Cowboys history.
Said owner Jerry Jones: "Dak is deserving of anything you want to put on a piece of paper, relatively speaking. If you evaluate what he can do to help us win championships, you can see that it's there. Plus, he's a leader at the premier leader spot. We've got make it work.''
He will also, in the Cowboys' view, not be Carson Wentz, the Eagles QB who was taken four rounds higher than Dak in the same NFL Draft ... who has fallen on hard times in Philadelphia and therefore might cause cap problems there.
Said Stephen: "I can't speak for the Eagles. I don't know where they are with Carson Wentz and what their long-term thoughts are on Carson. When something's not working out and you have big numbers on a contract you’re committed to it can certainly affect your football team for a couple of years.
"That’s the business we're in. That's why you want to be right when you sign a player.''
The Dallas Cowboys believe they'll be right with Dak Prescott ... giving them nothing to be "nervous'' about.
