Getty Dak Prescott
The Dallas Cowboys have dug in their heels with Dak Prescott, and they aren’t afraid to go public.
The Joneses — Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones — took to the airwaves to provide an update on stagnated contract talks with walk-year franchise quarterback Dak Prescott.
While in one breath lauding Prescott (in an apparent effort to save a few shekels), Stephen Jones in the next breath re-affirmed that Dallas is seeking a team-friendly deal with Dak.
“In my mind, he’s flawless,” Stephen Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan, per Pro Football Talk. “So the only thing we need him to do is work with us a little bit, and I understand because it’s his money and easy for someone else to say. But the only reason we’re having a negotiation is to talk him into all the reasons as to why it’s good to have a supporting cast around him. Other than that, it would be really easy to write the check. It’s not saving Jerry [Jones] and I any money. What we’re trying to do is keep this young football team together. We think it’s a really good one, and we think it’s only going to get better because it is young. Other than that, this negotiation would have been over with months ago. But I think he understands where we’re coming from. We understand where he’s coming from, and ultimately, we’ll figure this out.”
When (not if) an agreement is struck, Prescott seems likely to match or exceed the NFL-record $110 million in guarantees. Or, if annual value is desired, top the $32 million per year that Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz is making.
But the slow-playing discussions indicate that Prescott is holding out for a lucrative shorter-term contract rather than the long-term extensions signed by several Cowboys stars (Ezekiel Elliott, DeMarcus Lawrence, Jaylon Smith, La’el Collins) this offseason.
And considering the Cowboys still have to take care of star wide receiver Amari Cooper and cornerback Byron Jones — both free agents after the season — the organization probably would be amenable to, say, a three-year extension.
At a discount, preferably.
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New Deal Still Not Close, Says Jerry
The Cowboys have enough money to burn ($21.9 million available salary cap space) and an aggressive mindset (Thursday’s trade for Michael Bennett), but Jerry Jones can’t seem to meet in the middle with either Prescott or Cooper’s camp.
While there was some speculation that Dallas would use their Week 8 bye to lock down the cornerstone players, status quo ultimately remains. Put another way: There’s nothing brewing nor “imminent” on the financial front.
“We are just where we were and where we’ve been, and that is we don’t have anything done, but how close we are to getting it done is really not identifiable because it takes two, and it takes the will of two looking at it from two different perspectives,” Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan, via PFT. “You never know what that is, and the other one never knows where that is until it’s actually done. And, so, we are continuing to operate with the — continuing, and I meant that, not as some type of complaint at all. But both parties are continuing to operate as though we’re going to get something done at some point.”
Cowboys Cut Defender Following Bennett Trade
With the deal sending Patriots defensive end Michael Bennett to the Cowboys, someone had to draw the short straw on Dallas’ at-capacity active roster. That someone is Justin Hamilton.
The Cowboys, according to multiple reports, released Hamilton on Friday, nine days after the veteran defensive lineman landed in North Texas.
Hamilton was inked prior to the Cowboys’ Week 7 game against Philadelphia, an insurance signing following the loss of starting DE Tyrone Crawford (hips), who was moved to injured reserve. The ex-Eagle was a healthy scratch for the nationally-televised contest, a 37-10 Cowboys victory. Like Bennett, Hamilton knew defensive coordinator Kris Richard from their time with the Seattle Seahawks.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL