Getty Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott
The recent days for the Dallas Cowboys have been filled with storylines involving potential contract extensions for Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper and Dak Prescott. Team COO Stephen Jones went on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas and said that he does not believe the team has enough momentum with the three star players to get a deal finalized before the end of training camp in Oxnard, California.
Tuesday morning, it was reported that the Cowboys had extended “generous” offers to all three of its star players, but have yet to strike a deal with any of them.
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Amari Cooper’s Outlook
Cooper has been dealing with a heel injury and has missed several training camp practices. There is a strong chance that he will not play in the team’s first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.
He appears to be more than fine letting the market settle itself out with the contracts of Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones and Kansas City Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill still up in the air.
New Orleans Saints star Michael Thomas signed a $100 million deal and has set the market for Cooper. It looks like Cooper’s deal could get rather expensive if he winds up being paid among the top receivers in the league. As other receivers ink deals, it should be easier to gauge his value and size of a potential deal.
Ezekiel Elliott’s Contract Rumblings
It’s a hot-button topic that Elliott has spent his holdout in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. There has been chatter that he could consider a holdout for all of the 2019 season if a deal is not finalized before the start of the season. As NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported, the team is willing to play this season with each player on a “prove it” type of deal.
If Elliott can strike a deal he would continue to perfectly complement Prescott’s use of run-fakes to keep opposing defenses off-balance. Elliott’s presence drags extra defenders into the box, which opens up the passing game for Prescott and the offense.
Dak Prescott’s Deal Closer Than Others?
Cooper and Elliott’s deals would obviously help Prescott’s outlook and chances to continue taking strides forward. If he can play smart and take what opposing defenses give him, Prescott has a case to receive a big contract from the Cowboys. He showed great maturity over the final weeks of 2018 and through much of his career. From here, the young signal-caller will look to build on that in the preseason.
Both sides have been patient with Prescott’s contract as they are optimistic that it will happen during training camp, according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater:
Prescott is on his rookie deal and is set to make just over $2 million this season.
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