“Very Positive” Talks For Cowboys, Prescott
The Cowboys and Dak Prescott have had “very positive” contract talks within the last two weeks, according to a source who spoke with David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Apparently, things are trending in the right direction for the Cowboys and their franchise quarterback, regardless of whether he joins the Cowboys for the start of their online (and voluntary) OTAs.
[RELATED: Prescott Won’t Do Virtual OTAs This Week Without New Deal]
Prescott was kept out of free agency by way of a one-year, $31MM+ exclusive franchise tag. It’s a handsome sum, no doubt, but the QB is aiming for something in the neighborhood of Russell Wilson‘s contract. That deal, worth $35MM per annum, is the richest in the NFL.
This saga has surpassed the one-year mark. Prescott turned down a $33MM-per-year offer last year and has held firm on that front. It has now affected his offseason participation. While that ordinarily would not be a major issue, the Cowboys figure to have new wrinkles offensively after hiring Mike McCarthy. Kellen Moore remains OC, but Dallas’ offense will surely incorporate some of McCarthy’s concepts next season.
The latest on the Prescott contract front indicated he wanted a shorter-term deal. The Cowboys, as their 2019 extension spree most recently indicated, are proponents of longer contracts. A short-term pact would give the 26-year-old quarterback a chance at another monster payday in his early 30s or possibly before then. Given the events of the Prescott negotiation timeline to this point, his camp holding firm on this preference adds up.
The Cowboys have until July 15 to sign their quarterback to an extension. That would help the team’s cap situation; Prescott’s $31.5MM cap figure is anchoring Dallas’ payroll at the moment.
Latest On Cowboys, Dak Prescott
If the Cowboys go forward with a virtual offseason program next week, Dak Prescott won’t log on, unless he has a new deal in place (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). The online OTAs would be voluntary, just like regular OTAs, so the choice is entirely up to him. 
[RELATED: Redskins Wanted To Take Cooper From The Cowboys]
The Cowboys cuffed Prescott with the franchise tag earlier this offseason and he has yet to sign his tender. With a one-year, $31MM+ deal on the table, Prescott is pushing for a multi-year pact that would bring him closer to Russell Wilson‘s league-leading $35MM average annual value. While teammates Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliott signed long-term contracts (five years and six years, respectively), Prescott is reportedly looking for a shorter agreement that would allow him to cash in all over again in his prime years.
Even though Prescott’s performance dovetailed in the second half of last season, it’s still possible that he could become the NFL’s new cash leader. The two sides have until July 15 to sort all of that out. If they’re not able to come to terms, Prescott will probably take his time before putting pen to paper, but ultimately play on the one-year tender. Then, after the 2020 season, the two sides will be free to resume negotiations.
Prescott, of course, is not the league’s best quarterback, but he’s one of the better QBs in the game and these deals ultimately come down to age and timing. He won’t turn 27 until the end of July and he’s in a great position to get what he wants from the Cowboys.
The two-time Pro Bowler threw for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2019. Many of those throws went to Amari Cooper, who tallied 79 receptions for 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a massive payday.
Dak Prescott Eyeing Short-Term Contract?
While much of the discussion surrounding Dak Prescott‘s next contract has been focused on AAV and guaranteed money, the length of the contract is also of particular interest to the quarterback. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that the Cowboys quarterback may prefer a short-term deal.
As Fowler explains, there’s an expectation that the salary cap will see a significant jump thanks to an extra week of the regular season plus newfound gambling money. Therefore, Prescott is looking to hit free agency again so he can capitalize on that adjustment to the cap, and that means he might prefer a two- or three-year pact.
This is a bit different than how the Cowboys normally operate, as the front office has traditionally handed out longer contracts to their key players. We saw that last year when they signed Ezekiel Elliott to a six-year agreement, and we also saw it when the inked Amari Cooper to a five-year deal earlier this offseason.
We heard last week that there was a belief that Prescott would emerge from negotiations as the NFL’s highest-paid player. From an average-annual-value standpoint, the 26-year-old could still accomplish that. Russell Wilson‘s $35MM-AAV deal remains the NFL’s high-water mark. If Prescott plays next season under the franchise tag, he’ll be making around $33MM per year.
Dak Prescott To Become NFL’s Highest-Paid Player?
The Cowboys have re-entered negotiations with their franchise quarterback, and Dak Prescott‘s patient strategy may be about to pay off.
A Prescott extension is not yet imminent, but a source informed ESPN.com’s Ed Werder the Cowboys quarterback will exit these talks as the NFL’s highest-paid player (Twitter link). These talks are not contentious, per Werder, who adds that since the NFL has postponed teams’ offseason programs, no team deadline exists to conclude these discussions.
Prescott turned down the Cowboys’ $33MM-per-year offer — one that came with $105MM guaranteed — and is now franchise-tagged for around $33MM. Russell Wilson‘s $35MM-AAV deal remains the NFL’s high-water mark. Wilson signed that deal last April. A Prescott price in the $35MM-AAV range surfaced Wednesday night.
The Cowboys have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement with Prescott. If the sides cannot finalize a deal by then, he will play under the exclusive tag. This process has gone on for over a year now. The Cowboys have extended both Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper, clearing the way for a Prescott tag.
While no one would logically argue Prescott is the NFL’s best quarterback, he has exerted leverage well over the past several months. Prescott bet on himself in a contract year, and he’s now negotiating under a new CBA. This and the NFL’s next round of TV deals are likely to produce bigger salary cap spikes in the coming years. The Cowboys’ price for Prescott would then set the market for Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes, with the latter possessing the ability to reshape the quarterback salary spectrum when that time comes.
Cowboys, Dak Prescott Resume Contract Talks
The Cowboys and Dak Prescott have resumed contract talks for the first time since Dallas hit their signal-caller with the franchise tag, Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter).
There has never been any doubt that Prescott would be under center for the Cowboys for the foreseeable future, but negotiations between player and team have moved at a snail’s pace. There was talk just before the 2019 regular season that a deal was imminent, but Prescott’s hot start to the season reportedly made him more inclined to play out the year in the hopes of landing a fatter contract. Around the time of this year’s scouting combine, Dallas put forth an offer with an average annual value of roughly $33.5MM, but that proposal didn’t gain much traction.
One of the holdups has been the Cowboys’ desire to have Prescott sign a longer-term pact, while the QB is shooting for a shorter deal that will allow him to hit free agency sooner. Per Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, Dallas is still pushing for a five-year contract (Twitter link), but Yahoo’s Liz Loza hears that a four-year deal worth $35MM per year is in the offing (Twitter link).
That would be a huge win for Prescott, as it would give him the term and the dollars that he has been seeking. The two-time Pro Bowler has his detractors, but he has clearly established himself as a quality QB who may not have hit his ceiling just yet.
The Cowboys have brought back Prescott’s top target, wide receiver Amari Cooper, and though the team lost center Travis Frederick to retirement, the O-line should still be a strength.
Cowboys Place Franchise Tag On Dak Prescott
The Cowboys have placed exclusive franchise tag on Dak Prescott, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). This move means that no other team will be allowed to negotiate with him, which has pros and cons for the QB.
Under the traditional non-exclusive tag, Prescott would have been able to talk with other clubs that would potentially be willing to cough up a pair of first-round picks for the right to sign him. On the flipside, the exclusive tag would pay Prescott at the average of the league’s top-five salaries for the 2020 season. With the non-exclusive tag, it would have been the top-five average of last year.
The non-exclusive tag would have come at $26.8MM. With the exclusive version, the number should be somewhere around $31.6MM.
The Cowboys’ long-term negotiations with Prescott have been going on for some time and there was talk just before the season that the two sides were nearing a deal. Since then, the Cowboys haven’t made much progress in bridging the gap, though Jerry Jones & Co. have said repeatedly that they would keep him, one way or another.
With Prescott cuffed for the 2020 season, the Cowboys will turn their attention to finalizing a long-term deal with star receiver Amari Cooper. A new deal for Cooper won’t come cheap, though the depth of this year’s WR class in the draft may work to the Cowboys’ favor. Teams, in theory, could keep a lid on their offers with an eye on finding cheaper and younger receiving talent in April. Cooper’s camp is acutely aware of this scenario – even if they won’t admit it publicly.
In 2019, Cooper registered 79 receptions for 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 10 receiver in the NFL. Meanwhile, Prescott threw for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns and turned in an electric first half to the season.
Cowboys Increase Offer To Dak Prescott
March 11: There is no “new” contract offer to Prescott, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link). While the Cowboys’ latest offer does indeed represent an increase over the $33MM/year proposal they put forth in the early stages of the 2019 season, the revised offer was made around the time of this year’s combine and is now several weeks old. That suggests that the offer has not gained any traction and that there is still a large gap to bridge.
And the gap may not just be money-related. Rapoport, echoing reports we’ve heard previously, says that Prescott is likely targeting a four-year deal so he can get back to free agency sooner, while the Cowboys would prefer a longer arrangement.
March 9: Barely 72 hours remain until Thursday’s deadline for teams to designate franchise and transition players. The Cowboys are on the clock, and they are reigniting a push to extend Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys have submitted a new proposal to Prescott, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. Terms are not clear, but Archer notes that Prescott turned down Dallas’ $33MM-per-year offer and that this one is likely in the Aaron Rodgers–Jared Goff range. It is indeed an increased offer, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
Both Rodgers and Goff are at $33.5MM in AAV, so this Cowboys offer may not be substantially more than the $33MM-AAV one they made last season. Prescott is believed to be seeking a deal on the Russell Wilson level; the Seahawks quarterback earns $35MM on average.
Dallas has offered Prescott $105MM guaranteed. While that is not the guarantee at signing, it would land fourth among quarterbacks. Prescott, however, has some additional leverage now. The Cowboys have just three days left with the franchise or transition tag to use on Amari Cooper. They have met with both Prescott and Cooper’s agents twice since the Combine, but if the CBA is ratified this week, teams can only use one tag. Cooper, then, would be in line to negotiate with other teams when the legal tampering period opens March 16.
The looming TV deals, should this CBA be finalized, are also expected to produce bigger cap spikes. Prescott’s camp may not be eager to do a deal before more of the NFL’s 2020s financial landscape becomes clear. If the Cowboys cannot get a deal done with Prescott by March 12, they are prepared to use the exclusive franchise tag on him. If the sides cannot agree on terms by July 15, Prescott would play the season on that $31MM-plus number.
NFC Notes: Seahawks, Redskins, Prescott
The Seahawks could be adding to their backfield soon. Seattle is still interested in veteran running back Alex Collins, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Seahawks worked out Collins back in January, but didn’t end up signing him at the time. Of course there is plenty of familiarity here, as Collins started his career with the Seahawks back in 2016. A fifth-round pick out of Arkansas, Collins was waived after a rookie season where he played sparingly. He signed with Baltimore, and ended up having a breakout 2017 season with the Ravens.
He became their full-time starter, racking up 973 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. He again operated as their starter for much of the 2018 season, but a foot injury cut his year short. He was arrested in March of last year and waived by the Ravens shortly after. He received a three-game suspension from the league, and spent all of 2019 out of football. Still only 25 he should resurface somewhere for 2020, and it sounds like there’s a good chance it’s with the Seahawks.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Jets are going to have some competition for Trent Williams. Earlier today we heard New York was targeting the left tackle after the Redskins said they would allow him to seek a trade, and they aren’t the only ones. Multiple teams have inquired about Williams since the news broke, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s unclear which teams, although the Browns are apparently thinking about making another run at him. Whoever trades for Williams better be prepared to pay up, as he’s reportedly looking to become the league’s highest-paid tackle on a new contract.
- Things continue to inch forward with the Cowboys and their pair of superstar impending free agents. The Cowboys met with Dak Prescott‘s agent for the first time since the start of the 2019 season last week, and they met for a second time this past week, a source told Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. While there appears to be some momentum gathering, it also doesn’t sound like anything is particularly close, as Watkins writes everything is in a “holding pattern” as both sides await a resolution on the new CBA. Watkins writes that Dallas also met with receiver Amari Cooper‘s reps for a second time. Watkins reiterated his earlier report that the Cowboys have offered Prescott an annual salary of $33MM with $105MM in guarantees. It’s likely going to take a lot more than that to get a deal done.
- The Buccaneers have made a minor addition to Bruce Arians’ coaching staff. Tampa has hired Keith Tandy as their new special teams assistant, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Auman points out it’s a familiar name, since Tandy spent six years with the Bucs as a player from 2012-17. The former safety from West Virginia spent some time with the Falcons in 2018 before hanging up his cleats.
Cowboys To Use Exclusive Franchise Tag On Dak Prescott?
We’ve been hearing for months that if the Cowboys couldn’t agree to a long-term extension with Dak Prescott, then they’d slap the quarterback with the franchise tag. We now have more clarity on their plan, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that the organization would opt for the exclusive franchise tag (via NFL.com’s Jeremy Bergman).
This path would provide benefits and negatives for Prescott. For negatives, the quarterback wouldn’t have the ability to negotiate with other teams (whereas under the traditional, non-exclusive tag, he could leave town if another team was willing to pony up a pair of first-rounders). The benefit? While the non-exclusive tag accounts for the top-five salaries at a respective position over the past five years, the exclusive tag accounts for the top-five salaries at a respective position for the upcoming season.
As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes, that current exclusive-tag quarterback value would be around $31.62MM. However, the number isn’t set in stone until the end of April, so it could easily fluctuate between now and then. For comparison’s sake, the non-exclusive quarterback tag is estimated to be around $27MM for the upcoming season.
This also provides some leverage in Prescott’s talks with the organization. The quarterback could sit on his ~$32MM salary for 2020, and then if he’s slapped with the tag again, he’d be in line to make close to $38MM in 2021.
We learned earlier this week that Cowboys officials met with Prescott’s agent, Todd France. It was the first time the two sides had met since the start of the 2019 season.
Latest On Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Cowboys officials met today with agent Todd France to discuss Dak Prescott‘s future contract, reports Calvin Watkins of The Dallas News. It was the first time the two sides have met since the start of the 2019 season.
We previously heard that the Cowboys were willing to offer their franchise quarterback a contract that would pay him around $33MM per season, while Prescott was seeking a contract that was closer to Russell Wilson‘s $35MM/year. However, Watkins notes that the two sides seem to also be debating guaranteed money, and the reporter notes that the organization offered the 26-year-old a deal that included more than $100MM in guaranteed money (on the flip side, sources close to Prescott disputed that the organization “offered guarantees reaching $105 million.”)
Watkins also notes that team officials are hoping Prescott will take note of the contract negotiations with DeMarcus Lawrence, Sean Lee, Tony Romo and DeMarcus Ware; those players personally reached out to Jerry Jones or Stephen Jones before inking a new deal. While the officials cautioned that they wouldn’t want Dak to go behind his agent’s back, a source believes that “if Prescott would call one of the Joneses, a deal could be completed.”
While Prescott is set to become a free agent, the Cowboys won’t let him explore the open market. If the two sides can’t agree to a new deal, the organization will surely slap the quarterback with the ~$27MM franchise tag. In that scenario, they could negotiate a long-term deal into the summer, and they can always revisit talks following the 2020 campaign.
The two-time Pro Bowler threw for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns last season. For his career, he’s gone 40-24 in 64 starts with a 65.8% completion rate and 97 touchdowns vs. 36 interceptions.