Getty Dak Prescott
There are two realistic scenarios pertaining to Dak Prescott: He signs a long-term deal or his exclusive franchise tag.
But, should pen not touch paper in either capacity, a doomsday scenario where Prescott isn’t quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys would be invoked.
The latter outcome isn’t very realistic, and even less likely, though it’s worth exploring. NFLAnalysis.net did just that, grouping Prescott among four potential NFC East trade candidates ahead of the 2020 season.
If he has it his way, Prescott will get his new deal in the next month. It is certainly possible the deal will happen too. While the Cowboys (read: Jerry Jones) don’t have the best track record when it comes to flexing to the will of their players but Prescott certainly warrants some concessions.
What happens if the two sides don’t agree on a contract before July 15th? Well, there’s talks of holdout for sure, and where there’s a holdout there has to be trade talks.
Even if the Cowboys aren’t actively receiving offers, there has to be a point where the franchise at least internally entertains the idea.
What could they get in return? Well, it’s not likely Prescott is coming off his four-year extension demands, so that might factor in a bit when it comes to negotiating a trade.
No matter what the limitations, a team will pay high draft capital to get Prescott for four-years, and potentially longer.
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Will the Cowboys Trade Dak?
In short, no. First of all, Prescott technically remains unsigned, having yet to ink his $31.4 million franchise tender. You cannot move players who aren’t under contract, so until or unless he dots the Is and crosses the Ts, this is a moot discussion.
Second, Dallas would need to find a team that could absorb Prescott’s cap number ($31.4 million) and/or be willing to dish out a lucrative, possibly market-resetting megadeal. At this stage of the offseason, with training camp roughly six weeks away? Good luck.
Lastly, the Cowboys did not bring aboard Andy Dalton to replace Dak in 2020, nor is Dalton expecting to snatch the starting job. He’s a backup, plain and simple. Moreover, the team genuinely is committed to Prescott as The Guy. New head coach Mike McCarthy went so far as to dub the two-time Pro Bowler — not Ezekiel Elliott — the offensive centerpiece.
“You’re gonna be able to run the whole offense and then some. And I think he has an incredible foundation to build off of,” McCarthy said in January. “Our offensive system will be built around making the quarterback successful. That’s the way I’ve learned it, and that’s the way I believe you play offense. We have a great one there to work with.”
So, while it’s interesting to mull, especially for Dak’s many detractors, the simple truth is that he’s going nowhere. One way or another, he will be under center for the Cowboys come September, and likely well beyond into a promising future
Aikman Discloses Major Issue Between Dak, Cowboys
Days have turned to weeks and weeks to months in Prescott’s quest for generational wealth. On that same token, for his part, patience has turned to disappointment and disappointment to what could be full-blown resentment if no agreement is reached by the July 15 deadline.
Former Cowboys great and current FOX analyst Troy Aikman spoke to this possibility during a recent appearance on Ed Werder’s Doomsday podcast, suggesting Prescott feels a significant lack of respect emanating from the franchise.
“Within the organization, I don’t know if he’s gotten as much credit as he deserves or as much respect as he deserves,” Aikman said, via Cowboys Wire. “His rookie year, he led them to 13 wins, and there were conversations from the owner about what a great story it’d be if [Tony] Romo came off the bench and led them to a Super Bowl! I think there were comments like that than have taken away. I mean, this guy was a rookie at the time. He had played phenomenal. And I think there are comments like that… It’s only human nature, you begin to question, ‘Okay, well, just how respected am I? How much do they truly appreciate what I’ve done?’ And then when you’re going through contract negotiations, no matter who you are, they’re always a little bit contentious.”
“If they can’t come to an agreement,” Aikman added, “I would think that maybe deep down, there might be those feelings that maybe he’s not appreciated or respected as much as he would like.”
READ NEXT: Unsettling Report Surfaces on Cowboys, Dak Prescott Contract Negotiations
Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL
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