Cowboys vs. Dak Prescott Contract Problem Solved - by Stephen A. Smith?!
FRISCO - It's quite generous of Dallas Cowboys fake-hater Stephen A. Smith to offer up a Dak Prescott contract solution ...
Except for the fact that the ESPN "First Take'' obviously doesn't understand the Dak Prescott contract problem.
"I know that I can be critical of them mostly because of their nauseating and disgusting fanbase, I love trolling them, but in all seriousness,'' Smith said, "here's the deal.'' ...
But then Smith went on to rattle off Dak's stats and the fact that "Dak can ball'' and stuff ... without actually steering us to what "the deal'' should be.
"You go from leading the league in interceptions in 2022 to leading the league in touchdown passes in 2023,'' he said. "If you get rid of him, who are you bringing in to replace him? Somebody has to play quarterback."
This is true. This is obvious. But it is such a generic take ...
What about "the deal'' when it comes to the bloated cap hit (reduced a bit now to $55 million for 2024)? And what about "the deal'' when it comes to our belief that Prescott's asking price might be an NFL-high $60 million APY?
Smith is arguing against nobody here. He's shaking his fists at clouds. While there are surely some in Cowboys Nation who have no faith in Prescott as a Super Bowl winner, those fans are smart enough to recognize there will be a void if he's allowed to leave via free agency in the spring of 2025.
Smith also mentions the Cowboys' needing to soon pay up on Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb, but probably is unaware that a) Dallas has Parsons under contract for two more years and that b) the planned deal with Lamb won't add cost to Dallas' cap; it'll actually reduce his 2024 impact, maybe by as much as $10 million.
"Dak Prescott can ball, I do know that," said Smith, and while some even want to argue about that claim, it too seems pretty obvious to us. But "Dak Can Ball'' and "Pay The Man!'' are bumper-sticker platitudes. Uttering them can fill a segment on TV. But it does nothing to solve "the deal.'' Because "the deal'' is about the contract, not about ESPN's "nauseating and disgusting'' bloviating.
