Cowboys vs. Dak Prescott: 'No Swift Resolution' Predicted in Contract Negotiations?
The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott will be back at the negotiating table this offseason as the franchise will be looking at how it can best move forward with their quarterback.
Our Mike Fisher at CowboysSI.com is reporting that the two sides are "ready'' to get to work on this time. And in a sense, that conflicts with an ESPN paywall take that insists Cowboys Nation should not "expect a swift resolution'' to the issue.
Who is right here?
Dallas can choose to eat Dak's $59 cap hit in 2024, but that would seriously handicap its efforts to build a Super Bowl-winning roster. This has ESPN thinking the Cowboys are stuck between a rock and a hard place given Dak's contract.
"In the most fascinating race against time of the offseason, the Cowboys are on the clock for the six months they'll have to extend quarterback Dak Prescott and assuage his massive $59 million cap hit," ESPN writes. "Don't expect a swift resolution, especially with Prescott coming off his best statistical season."
"And if that's not enough, CeeDee Lamb is due a new contract that could make him the league's highest-paid receiver or close to it. Linebacker Micah Parsons will need to be paid soon enough. ...''
Let's tap the brakes here.
Lamb's contract extension will actually reduce his cap hit. So that's not a problem. Regarding Parsons, he's eligible for an extension but there is no looming deadline there. And to Dak ...
We have the Cowboys right now at about $20 million over the cap. As we've repeated often, COO Stephen Jones and the Dallas hierarchy NEED to be cap compliant by the beginning of the new league season (March 13).
So while ESPN says Dallas has "six months'' to do this? That is possible, as the Cowboys could in theory carve out $20 million of room without moving on Dak's deal. But that angle does not fit Dallas' stated plan.
And "don't expect a swift resolution''? Again, given that Dallas needs to be under the salary cap in under a month, conventional wisdom tells us that the goal for a resolution is that March 13 "deadline.''
The idea that the Cowboys could sit on their hands and let Prescott go into the last year of his contract is an option. But does that fit Jerry Jones' "all in" pledge? Would handicapping your ability to lure free agents, and sign existing players on your roster qualify as all-in? We hardly think so.
Dak will be the Cowboys quarterback for 2024, but beyond that, what is the commitment? We believe that contrary to what ESPN suggests, we will find out "swiftly'' enough.
