Cowboys contracts: What if Dak's desired number is $36M? Some Daryl Johnston advice

Cowboys contracts: What if Dak's desired number is $36M? Some Daryl Johnston advice

FRISCO - What if Dak Prescott's counteroffer to the Dallas Cowboys' $30 million APY proposal isn't the $40 mil that's been widely-reported, but rather is closer to $36 million?

That's the reason I still harbor optimism that a Dak deal can get done before the start of the regular season, as has long been the Joneses' plan.

Not that they are tied to that plan; if Prescott's side is unbending, the Cowboys can play into the season and worry about paying him (or franchise-tagging him, or not retaining him at all) down the road.

In the meantime, former Dallas fullback Daryl Johnston thinks a compromise is in order because, in short, there is an added cost when it comes to a team "setting the market'' at QB.

“The (six])highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL last year weren’t in the playoffs, says Johnston, an NFL analyst on FOX who is also the director of player personnel for the XFL’s Dallas Renegades. “(New Orleans') Drew Brees wanted to be the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL and you saw New Orleans drop because you can’t pay your third corner. You can’t pay your third wide receiver. You can’t pay the designated rusher. ...''

This is a salary-cap league, so the money is indeed finite. At the same time, the Cowboys have ample cap room. Nevertheless, I've written that at some point, somebody like cornerback Byron Jones might get squeezed, all because Dallas refuses to "set the market'' at the positions played by Jones, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Maliek Collins, La'el Collins and Dak, all of whom are eligible to get extensions.

Is there a direct correlation between the money paid to Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins, San Francisco’s Jimmy Garoppolo, Detroit’s Matthew Stafford and Oakland’s Derek Carr (Johnston's "six highest-paid'')? Not necessarily. Rodgers and Ryan, in particular, have experienced massive team success while also being highly-paid.

(By the way, Brees is tied with Carr for the sixth-highest deal and the Saints did reached the postseason. So it's easy to argue that his money hasn't really blocked New Orleans success.)

Johnston is clearly echoing the Joneses' point that "all the pieces must fit'' the Cowboys to keep together this talented young roster, led by Prescott.

Said Johnston: “If Dak can just get to a comfortable number where he looks at everything (and can say,) 'I’m being paid well, it is a life-changing contract financially, but you know what? I’m with a great group of guys that has a shot at this for three or four more years.'

"That’s what it’s about. It’s about winning championships.”