So, its Day Two of my reign of terror… er, I mean my serving as the GM of the Dallas Cowboys.
Its time to start putting each position group under the microscope. Today, we begin with the quarterback position.
And yes, it’s a landmine.
Dak Prescott’s 2024 contract of just under $60 million accounts for 23.47% of the salary cap all by itself.
If I could commit unspeakable crimes upon the person responsible, I would. But he has to sign the checks, so I can’t.
Finding the least messiest exit from this predicament is the first order of business.
Trading Away Prescott
Yesterday, we discussed the possibility of trading players with no player being untouchable. That’s certainly the case with Prescott.
The problem being there’s really only five possible trading partners out there.
If I’m trading away my starting quarterback, I want at least a 1st and 2nd from the 2024 Draft and a 1st from 2025.
Right now, only New England’s No. 3 pick in 2024 in the first two rounds makes for a trade worth doing. I’m not so sure the Patriots would pull that trigger.
So, unless I get a call from a GM with an offer I can’t refuse, its safe to say a trade likely isn’t in the cards.
Extending Prescott Beyond 2024
That seems to be all the rage right now. Extend his contract to five years, spread the salary cap pain, and pray he steps up to the next level.
I’m all for praying. But I’m also a realist.
I haven’t seen anything over the past eight seasons that makes me believe Prescott hasn’t reached his peak already.
He had a great year in 2023. Certainly the best of his career.
The problem is, I’m not sold that 2023 isn’t going to be the best of his career even after he’s done playing.
As a GM, if I don’t have full faith in a player, why am I keeping him on the roster?
And the argument I’ve heard recently, that he just gets unsettled in big moments, is not the confidence booster those making that argument think it is.
If he gets unsettled when the lights are brightest, do we really want him under center in that situation?
Patrick Mahomes is set to make a little over $57 million in 2024. He has won two of the three Super Bowls he’s led his team to.
He’s also one win away from a fourth Super Bowl appearance. Are you really going to tell me we should pay Prescott more than Mahomes right now?
So, no extension just yet.
Make It Or Break It
Which leaves two options. Neither of them painless.
One, we see if we can land a quarterback in the draft – either at 24 or by moving up via trade – and then make Prescott a post-June 1 cut.
It takes a lesser bite out of the cap. But at least it’s a clean break.
Michael Gehlken at the Dallas Morning News broke down the numbers involving Prescott’s contract. Including the options Dallas has without an extension.
I won’t repeat it here, but there are ways to get through this and still field a competitive team.
Let’s say no extension and Prescott is cut on June 1.
It leaves us with Cooper Rush and Trey Lance – and possibly a rookie quarterback via the draft. We’re not throwing in the towel on 2024 though.
Changing Approach
We’re changing the culture and the approach along with the personnel.
We become a smashmouth running team. We have a ball control quarterback.
Cooper Rush did this in 2022 and went 4-1. His lone loss was the only game he tried to go full hero ball mode.
And we’re spending some of the money we saved on Prescott’s contract to plug up the gaping hole in the middle of our defense at tackle and linebacker.
When we do decide to pass, we’re not throwing the 60-yard, hero-ball, bombs.
We’re moving the ball methodically downfield. We’re eating up clock.
We’re taking care of the ball and limiting the turnovers. Live to fight another down or punt the ball away.
We’re letting our beefed up defense rest and get ready to come back out and shut down the other team.
We’re winning games 16-13. We’re avoiding 48-42 shootouts.
Think I’m crazy?
Think back to the Wild Card loss to the Packers. Green Bay ran the ball 33 times against 21 passes.
Aaron Jones ran 21 times alone for 118 yards and three touchdowns.
The Packers wore down the Cowboys’ defense until it had nothing left to fight with by the time the offense finally showed up.
They kept pouring it on because their was nothing standing in their way in the second half.
A fluke, you say? Green Bay nearly upset the 49ers on Sunday with this same formula.
The Second Option
No extension. No June 1 cut.
We eat the $59 million dollar contract in 2024 and go all-in.
Either we win it all or after the season ends we blow it all up and start from scratch.
Prescott is gone as an unrestricted free agent in 2025 and we get just a third round pick in return. It also likely means we may lose some players we could have resigned before 2024 began.
But that’s the gamble.
Win it all or lose it all.
Either way, the bad contract and the salary cap hell are behind us. I told you it was going to be painful, especially if it ends without a title.
Is There A Third Way?
Actually, there is. But its up to Prescott to decide which means more to him.
His bank account or that ring that comes with the Lombardi trophy?
As mentioned above, at this time he’s not proved worthy of being paid more than a multiple Super Bowl winner. So is he willing to gamble that he can prove otherwise?
Let’s agree to a three-year extension at $30 million a year. That’s about $4 million more than he made in 2023.
It also gives me room to shore up the needs elsewhere on the team.
And we agree to take the air out of the ball. He won’t have the stats he had in 2023.
But what matters more: The stats or the wins?
Especially once the postseason begins. He’s 2-5 in the playoffs trying to be “The Guy.”
Maybe it is time to even that record up by the end of 2024?
Maybe we do that by Prescott not being “The Guy That Puts His Defense In An Early Hole With Killer First Half Interceptions.”
If he wins a Super Bowl in any of those three years, we’ll immediately restructure, and tack on two more years at the equivalent of $60 million a year for the full five years.
If he fails to win a ring? After that third year ends everyone goes their way in peace.
In the meantime, we spend the next two years developing Lance, or a quarterback we acquire in the draft.
Personally, this is the option I would take to fix this position group. But it is up to Prescott.
How badly do you want that ring, Dakota?