Here is the order in which the Cowboys should take care of their would-be extensions (if they do them) this offseason.
The Dallas Cowboys would be wise to take care of extensions sooner rather than later. You know this. We have discussed it many times. It does not need to be re-litigated at this point.
This is a principle that the front office has not necessarily agreed with (something else you know) in recent history as it took until the eleventh hour for deals to get done with the likes of CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott (multiple times) and DeMarcus Lawrence. For context’s sake we should note that Dallas was early on players like Jaylon Smith, La’el Collins, Trevon Diggs and Terence Steele (Ezekiel Elliott too sort of, although Zeke forced that issue by holding out).
Obviously this is a topic of conversation right now what with Micah Parsons being eligible for an extension for the second offseason in a row. By not taking care of it last year the Cowboys allowed the situation to turn into more of one which is why we are all screaming at them to get it done.
Parsons may be the best player on the Cowboys, but he is not the only one who it would be wise for the team to take care of relative to extensions this offseason. Counting Parsons there are four players who the team would be wise to lock up for the long-term.
Here is our ranking of how the team should view the levels of importance.
First and foremost… Micah Parsons
Micah Parsons is the best player on the Dallas Cowboys. He is on track to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame-level career. On the heels of a rough season with longtime veterans departing, he appears ready and willing to take the mantle of leadership. These are all incredible qualities and ones that you dream about the player you give a massive extension to having in their repertoire.
We promised that we wouldn’t waste time, but this should have been taken care of last year. With that being the case that means that this is and has been priority number one for a long time now. If this ripples into training camp it will only hurt the overall goal.
Second in action… DaRon Bland
Last week saw the cornerback market rise for the second time this offseason when the Houston Texans paid Derek Stingley Jr.. This is the way that the game goes.
Paying DaRon Bland is about more than just playing some game, though. He may be coming off of a tough season for the standards that he set in 2023, but he is arguably a huge part of the defense and secondary moving forward. Given the uncertainty surrounding Trevon Diggs, you can argue that he is an essential part of it moving forward.
You know what else, though? Not to be cold or calloused, but Bland is coming off of a down season as mentioned. If the Cowboys were to be proactive and approach him in his first offseason of eligibility – while not coming off of a performance that he knows he is capable of – does it not stand to reason that the price will be lower than it could be?
This is the dangerous game that the Cowboys have lost in the past. To use one example, the Cowboys could have extended CeeDee Lamb and/or Dak Prescott after the 2022 season. Consider that the latter was coming off of a season filled with interceptions. Getting to one or both of them at that point could have led to a slightly friendlier deal, at the very least it would have led to a friendlier market rate. But as we all know, the Cowboys decided to wait and both Lamb and Prescott turned in stellar 2023 seasons which gave them all the more leverage.
This is an opportunity to not make that same mistake again.
Third and vital… Tyler Smith
The prioritization here is not about ranking the importance that the players hold relative to the team. If this were the case then it would feel awkward having Tyler Smith be down at three. Smith has had an interesting career with the Cowboys in that he was a decision that the front office stood against the world on and was proven right about. There were very few who agreed with them selecting him in the first round back in 2022.
To his credit, Smith has turned into the star that Dallas foresaw in that first round. Beyond being an amazing player, he is now positioned to be the leader of the offensive line for the future with Zack Martin having retired. He has an apprentice under his wing in fellow first-rounder Tyler Guyton. He is the perfect candidate to pay and take care of.
The Cowboys must decide if they want to pick up Smith’s fifth-year option this offseason (Kaiir Elam too now) and obviously will, but that does not mean that they can’t or won’t get an extension done. We know that he is a part of the long-term future of this team. Getting a deal done makes perfect sense.
Fourth but not forgotten… Jake Ferguson
You can make the argument in a number of directions here and the fact that the team spent a second-round pick on Luke Schoonmaker last year is part of the calculus. But if we are making a list of extension candidates, then there is no question that Jake Ferguson is a part of it, just a little lower down the priority list than others. This isn’t a knock on Ferguson in any way and is more representative of the markets of all positions involved.
We have seen the offense really thrive with Ferguson as a part of it over his career to date. Last year was tough for the team and for him individually, but like with Bland, that represents a time to strike for the front office.
Throughout the era of Dak Prescott at quarterback the team has seen a number of tight ends be productive and therefore haven’t really given second deals to many players. Dalton Schultz got the franchise tag, but looking back (and even in the moment) there is some room for discussion on whether that was the right decision or not. Ultimately this feels like something that could or should get done if the price is right, to use the front office’s favorite parlance.
