The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of work to do to restock and refine their roster in the hope of improving of last year’s playoff run. We’ll be looking at all of the 2019 needs for this offseason in the coming days, and we’re going to start with paramount position of quarterback.
Unlike most spots on the team, the quarterbacks don’t have anyone with an expiring contract this year. Both Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush will be in the final year of their deals, while Mike White still has three years left on his rookie contract.
Despite this, Prescott’s contract is still one the hottest issues the Cowboys face this offseason. They must decide if they want to go ahead and lock him up now to a long-term extension, or wait and see how Dak performs in his fourth season.
It’s a real dilemma for Dallas. One the one hand, Prescott already has two Pro Bowls, two division titles, and all winning seasons on his three-year resume. However, he’s also had ongoing accuracy issues and problems with consistent productivity in an increasingly pass-focused league.
Given what he’s already accomplished, Dak can command a pretty sizable contract in current negotiations. Just within the week he’s already commented on not planning to give the Cowboys a discount in his next deal.
If Dallas waits another year then they risk that price tag going up. They could be competing with the open market, or what if Prescott leads the team to the NFC Championship or beyond in 2019?
If Dak’s camp is already going to be aggressive in contract negotiations this year, then there’s a case to be made for just waiting. Let him play on his bargain $2.14 million cap hit and use the savings to load up on talent for a championship run. The team will still have resources to re-sign Prescott in 2020, or even franchise tag him, if that’s their choice.
However that situation goes, we know that Dak is the starter in 2019. But even though Cooper Rush and Mike White are both due to return next season, should the Cowboys be satisfied with that QB depth chart?
As I wrote about earlier this week, Dallas has good reason to look at adding a veteran passer to the mix this offseason. If Rush and White beat him out, that’s great. But if not, it adds an experienced voice to help Dak Prescott in this critical upcoming year.
You can go a few different ways. Some of the projected free agents can match Prescott’s mobile style, such as Tyrod Taylor, Trevor Siemian, or Robert Griffin III. Others give you the experience edge such as Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh McCown, or Matt Schaub.
It doesn’t seem likely that the Cowboys would draft another QB after just taking Mike White last year with a fifth-round pick. Unless they are moving to a completely different philosophy, Dallas will likely give White at least another year or two to develop as a mid-round selection.
Ideally, at least one of White or Cooper Rush will show some growth this year and inspire confidence as the immediate backup. But adding a veteran for competition certainly couldn’t hurt, and Dallas has the cap space to do it.
Thankfully, everything that Dallas might have to do this offseason at quarterback is optional. They can choose whether or not to redo Prescott’s contract, or whether or not to pursue upgrades behind him. There is no gaping hole being created by a potential free agent departure.
The Cowboys have the power now, but that can quickly change next season once Dak’s a free agent. That’s why they still have a big decision to make in 2019.
