Getty Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott’s contract saga seems like a thing of the distant past, but a particularly outspoken teammate brought the topic back to center stage.
Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, amid relief efforts to help locals battle the COVID-19 pandemic, pounded the table for Prescott, opining that Dallas must pony up for the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback sooner or later.
“All the chips are in his hands,” Lawrence said Sunday, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “He will do the same. Just having that pressure on you there is only one thing to do that is to achieve. I feel he is going to do that. . . . He knows the situation and what to prepare for. I feel he is the ultimate leader. Understanding his character, I know Dak is going to be ready for this position. When he thrives there is nothing nobody can say, y’all are going to have to pay him his money.”
As is relevant, there’s been nothing but radio silence emanating from The Star since March 16, when the Cowboys expectedly placed the exclusive franchise tag on Prescott, theoretically keeping him under team control for 2020. It’s only theoretical because he has to actually sign the tag, something he expressed apprehension toward earlier this offseason.
The tag is worth roughly $33 million for next season. The sides have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement or risk Prescott holding out — assuming, again, he doesn’t put pen to paper.
That the Cowboys don’t have Dak locked down isn’t for a lack of effort. At the onset of the 2019 campaign, they reportedly offered the 2016 fourth-round pick a deal worth $33 million annually with $105 million guaranteed. After tabling slow-rolling and increasingly contentious talks, the club allegedly increased its proposal following last month’s Scouting Combine, likely to around $33.5 million per year, but it wasn’t enough to sway Prescott.
In the time since, Dallas turned its attention to other matters, inking star wide receiver Amari Cooper to a five-year, $100 million pact and retaining several in-house free agents, including linebacker Sean Lee, tight end Blake Jarwin, cornerback Anthony Brown, and kicker Kai Forbath.
They’ve also ventured to the open market for three defenders: defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, cornerback Maurice Canady, and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. As of this writing, they’re closing in on a contract for nose tackle Dontari Poe.
Dallas has lost its fair share of talent, as well. Defected are CB Byron Jones (Dolphins), WR Randall Cobb (Texans), defensive end Robert Quinn (Bears), safety Jeff Heath (Raiders), TE Jason Witten (Raiders), defensive lineman Maliek Collins (Raiders), offensive tackle Cam Fleming (Giants), and interior offensive lineman Xavier Su’a-Filo (Bengals).
The Cowboys own $24.1 million of remaining salary cap space, according to Spotrac.com.
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