For months, the money question in Dallas has been pretty simple for us fans. How are the Cowboys supposed to keep George Pickens and Quinnen Williams when Dak Prescott and CeeDe Lamb are carrying monster contracts?
Well, we just watched Quinnen Williams get paid.
Dallas gave Quinnen Williams a three-year, $105.9 million extension that pushed his total deal to five years and $153.15 million, with $101 million guaranteed. That’s the kind of deal which proves the Cowboys want to build around this type of player.
I think this deal makes the George Pickens conversation harder to brush off.
Pickens Franchise Tag is Already Expensive
As we are well aware, George Pickens counts for $27.298 million against the cap this season on the tag. We can’t just skip over that part when we talk about what his next contract will look like.
That’s a big number Dallas is carrying for him this season.
If he gets anywhere near last season’s production, 93 catches, 1,429 yards, and nine touchdowns, I’d expect the contract talks to start north of $30 million per year. Probably higher depending on what receivers get paid first.
To quote Draft Day, “We live in a different world than we did a couple of hours ago.” That is the world of negotiations. Pickens will be expensive.
But the average value of a contract and the first-year cap hit are two different animals. Dallas can, and will, give Pickens the big signing bonus, keep the early salary manageable and let the heavy lifting happen later in the deal.
They’ve been doing some version of this with their biggest contracts for years now.
Dak Prescott’s Contract Is Where I’d Start
The number I keep looking at is Dak’s 2027 cap hit. He’s scheduled around $76 million, with $45 million coming from his base salary. I would be shocked if Dallas leaves all that sitting there untouched.
A simple restructuring of his contract would create a lot of freed-up money. Does it push the cap hit down the road? Yes, all credit card bills come due at some point. I just wouldn’t lose much sleep over 2029 if Dallas kept players who are helping the team win now.
While we are talking about contract levers, we might as well throw in CeeDee Lamb. His 2027 cap hit is $46 million, including a $28 million base salary. Lamb is all about making something happen to keep the dynamic duo together. He said this to Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports:
“I’m sure we can make a way, I know it’s going to be a little crazy, but I know we can make a way for this one. Listen, this is my advocation: ‘@ Jerry, can you please figure out a way? Let’s figure it out. I don’t care what needs to happen.’
“‘Let’s figure it out and it’s going to get you a couple more championships.'”
Dallas has moved a lot of his salary around already, so I wouldn’t jump head first into redoing this contract again, but it is still an option if needed.
Between Dak, the structure of a new Pickens contract and whatever smaller moves come after that day, I think Dallas will have plenty of room to work with.
That’s why I think the Quinnen Williams extension is so important. It will create cap room.
Dallas could have sat on their hands and waited. Instead, they took an expensive player and committed $105.9 million because they know how important Quinnen Williams is to the team.
Do the same thing with George Pickens. He will earn it again this season.
Don’t Lose Pickens Over a Future Cap Number
This is where I stand.
If Pickens puts together another year anywhere near last season, I don’t want to watch him walk because Dallas wants the cap sheet to look cleaner three years from now.
You paid Dak, Lamb, and now Quinnen Williams. At some point, if you believe these are the guys you can win with, you stop looking for reasons not to pay them.
I know the cap will get uncomfortable later, and I’m fine with it. That’s what happens when a roster has great players, they get expensive.
I would much rather deal with that after keeping all these guys together than spend the next offseason explaining why Dallas couldn’t keep one of its best young players.
Quinnen Williams got his deal. Now if Pickens backs his play up again, he should get his bag too.
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