With bar lowered, a new deal for Dak would feel like Cowboys win reidhanson Think back to the start of the 2024 offseason. The Cowboys were fresh off their humiliating playoff loss to Green Bay and Jerry Jones was elbow deep in “all-in” declarations in a calculated attempt to quell the uprising within the fanbase. Draft season was in full effect and free agency was fast approaching. Top 10 free agent lists populated the landscape and Cowboys fans were busy debating which internal free agents Dallas will retain and which external free agents Dallas will target. The window was open for another year the only question was how wide the front office was willing to pry it. As everyone would soon come to realize, Jones’ “all-in” statements weren’t remotely true under even the loosest of definitions. To make matters worse, not only did the Cowboys have little intention to sign outside talent to their roster, but they also didn’t even plan to retain their own top free agents. The “we like our guys” statements made every year were now suddenly starting to lose traction since they hadn’t even done a good job of retaining their own. When the Cowboys opened training camp with CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons’ contract situations still unresolved, expectations seemingly fell to an all-time low. In just a matter of months sentiments went from “who are they going to bring in to put them over the top,” to “who can they afford to lose this year and still be competitive,” to “are they even going to keep their own super stars?” The bar has been dropped so low, even the most obvious re-signing, Lamb, was rejoiced as a wonderful accomplishment. It almost didn’t matter the negotiations dragged on through the entire preseason. Suddenly just retaining their own obvious players for market values felt like wins. Just days before the start of the regular season, Prescott’s contract situation remains unresolved. There’s hope the Cowboys can retain their franchise signal caller beyond this year but there are certainly no assurances of it. Prescott holds all the leverage, and the Cowboys let the issue drag on dangerously long. In what feels like a 50-50 situation with Prescott, the Cowboys are a flip of the coin away from a multiyear rebuild. Disaster is at the door and the bar has been lowered so much, just re-signing Prescott would now feel like franchise-saving win. If the fanbase was told in February their team would re-sign Lamb and Prescott this year, the news would likely be met with some form of “well, duh.” Today it would be cause for champaign. That’s how far expectations have dropped for this front office. This may go down as one of the most emotionally wild offseasons in years for Dallas. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

3 reasons Dak Prescott would be crazy to re-sign with Cowboys now K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys took care of their most pressing contract situation last week, extending wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for another four years through the 2028 season. Lamb is now making the most net income of any non-QB, playing half his games in no-state tax Texas and averaging $34 million a season. Lamb was one of three superstars Dallas had to worry about, but issues remain on the contract front when it comes to quarterback Dak Prescott. Like Lamb, Prscott is entering the last year of his deal. Unlike Lamb, Prescott reported to offseason activities and training camp. With much conversation about whether or not the team will be able to reach an agreement with their franchise player, along with whether or not they should, one question hasn’t been asked very often. What is the incentive for Prescott to agree to a deal now? Here are three reasons why he may be more willing to stay on the market than people may realize. Cowboys History ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 20: Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium on November 20, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) The Cowboys have been blessed with two finds at the quarterback position; do fans realize that Tony Romo joined the club over 20 years ago? While Romo likely isn’t going to make the Hall of Fame, he and Prescott have regularly been among. the league’s best quarterbacks at various times in their tenure. Yet the organization cannot make progress in the playoffs. From Prescott’s perspective, he’s 5 months away from being able to choose his own franchise and it could be one that has proven capable of putting together a world champion some time this millenium. Bidding war maximizes his value on the street New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) on the sideline in the second half. The Giants fall to the Cowboys, 23-16, at MetLife Stadium on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. Nfl Ny Giants Vs Dallas Cowboys Cowboys At Giants Even if Prescott intends to remain with the Dallas organization, why would he not maximize his value? The 2025 free agent market is absolutely barren, unless Russell Wilson or Justin Fields rejuvenates their stock to a tremendous level this year. The bidding war for Prescott would be absolutely insane, regardless of what his detractors think about him. Prescott is a proven winner with a .640 regular season winning percentage, and has two top-six MVP finishes in his eight years. Kirk Cousins has a career .531 winning percentage, has never sniffed an MVP vote is 36 and just got $45 million a season. With Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa signing extensions with their team, there’s going to be a bidding war, especially with the 2022 QB class falling into the abyss already. Resigning without knowing the coaching staff and system makes little sense Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter of their wild card playoff game Sunday, January 14, 2024 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Green Bay defeated Dallas 48-32. The final point, who knows what’s going on with Dallas next season? Prescott has now played through three systems, learning under Jason Garrett while winning rookie of the year, while excelling with both Kellen Moore and Mike McCarthy’s system. But Dallas could turn over the apple cart this offseason with their coaching staff. Signing now, while the front office could certainly lean on his input, limits his options as far as his next system should the Joneses move on from McCarthy. Waiting to see what they do following the season gives Prescott additional leverage in the decision, for better or worse. If he doesn’t like the hire, he can go find a team who he does agree with their philosophy. And if there’s an opening for a team he’s dreamed about playing for? Even better. There are plenty of reasons why Prescott would want to sign with Dallas before the season starts, but these are tangible explanations why the ball isn’t exactly in Dallas’ court, regardless of what their offers look like. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Cowboys named favorites to land Bill Belichick in 2025 reidhanson When Bill Belichick left New England over the offseason the Cowboys were one of the first teams mentioned as a possible destination. Dallas was coming off a postseason implosion against the lower-seeded Packers, and head coach Mike McCarthy had just a season left on his deal. A coaching change in Dallas wasn’t just possible, it was kind of expected. As luck would have it, McCarthy was able to hold on in Dallas another year. The Cowboys front office opted to roll it all back for one more year in 2024 and that meant letting McCarthy serve out the entirety of his contract with the dreaded lame duck status ominously looming over him. Belichick, widely considered a surefire Hall of Famer, inexplicably signed with no one. The legendary coach set his sights on 2025 to resume his coaching career, with the Cowboys, once again, serving as a favorite landing spot to onlookers. Jeff Howe from The Athletic recently called the Cowboys “the obvious connection.” From Belichick’s point of view, he needs to find a team built to win now. At age 73, he’s probably not interested in a complete rebuild. He’s just 15 wins away from passing Don Shula on the all-time wins list, which, provided Dak Prescott is retained, is a feat he could easily achieve in less than two seasons with the Cowboys. From the Cowboys point of view, Belichick would add legitimacy back to the coaching ranks in Dallas. Jerry Jones has long been accused of hiring “yes men” at head coach. Presumably soured by the Jimmy Johnson experience, the impression is Jones wants to ensure he receives the bulk of the credit the next time ultimate success is achieved. Whether that’s fact or fiction is difficult to say but it’s a widely held perception he’s been fighting since the turn of the century. He pushed back on this roughly 20-years ago when shocked the world by bringing in Bill Parcells. Belichick would put those same “puppet” accusations to bed if he were brought in to follow the ever-pleasing McCarthy in 2025. As was the case with Parcells, it would require compromise on both sides to make such a marriage work. The Cowboys’ personnel department has been far more successful finding talent than Belichick has been since taking a leadership role in personnel in New England. They would need to retain that power. At the same time Belichick would have to be king of the kingdom in matters of final roster and playing time. The front office would have to back off. In other words, the front office would be in charge of buying the groceries, but they would have to get out of the kitchen completely when it was time for Belichick to cook dinner. On a short-term basis, Jones and Belichick could easily use their friendship to make a working relationship work. Considering the term would only be in the 2–3-year range, it’s not asking too much of them. Whether or not the marriage would be beneficial for both parties is a different story. Barring major injury, a Prescott-led Cowboys squad would surely push Belichick over the top by 2026. Even if they couldn’t find success in the postseason, Belichick would come out of the union a winner based on his all-time win record. The Cowboys, on the other hand, may not be much better off. Belichick would offer toughness, preparedness and postseason strategy to a team that’s seemed to lack all three elements. But as a defensive minded coach his success has been largely based on Tom Brady’s awesomeness on the offensive side of the ball. For as good as Prescott is, he’s no Brady. Prescott needs a coach helping him in the postseason, not leaning on him. Therefore, an offensive minded coach is probably the better option for the Cowboys. Then again, there’s no telling who the Joneses would consider at head coach after McCarthy anyway. Oftentimes the candidates come out of the recycle bin. When McCarthy was hired, the alternatives being considered weren’t exactly inspiring. Ben Johnson or Bobby Slowik seem like great options for the Cowboys if they are indeed hunting for a head coach next offseason. But if the list of candidates doesn’t include them but rather features a series of defensive coaches and retreads, maybe Belichick is the best option. One thing is clear – the Cowboys and Belichick is a very real connection for a reason. Both sides can make it work and both sides have something to gain from the other; wins for Belichick and street cred for the Joneses. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Follow all of your favorite Texas teams at Cowboys Wire, Longhorns Wire, Texans Wire, Rockets Wire and Aggies Wire!

Cook will help Cowboys ‘play wide open,’ per McCarthy, but don’t discount Dowdle Todd Brock The addition of four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook may have muddied the waters, at least in terms of projecting which ballcarrier will get the lion’s share of the workload in Dallas this season. But to hear head coach Mike McCarthy tell it, that’s kind of the point. Cook will start out on the Cowboys practice squad as he acclimates himself to the playbook and ramps up to game speed after working out on his own all spring and summer. But the team clearly has plans for him on Sundays, and he’ll eventually join a platoon that already includes two-time rushing champ Ezekiel Elliott, a resurgent Deuce Vaughn, and Rico Dowdle, who many observers have said looks like the best back of the bunch this offseason. “What’s the definition of ‘committee?’” McCarthy asked reporters during a Thursday press conference. “As a play caller, you want to play wide open- first, second, third down- and you want it to flow. My definition of ‘committee’ is: it’s a long year. You want to be able to have distribution throughout that position because of the toll that it takes on the running back position.” As for which one opposing defenses see in the Dallas backfield, McCarthy explained, it will all depend on the moment. “We don’t want to necessarily be in personnel groups that every time this particular player runs in or this particular player runs in [the defense knows what’s coming]. After three or four weeks, you have major tendencies,” he warned. “We want to be able to utilize all those guys but stay in a normal flow.” The late signing of Cook- just 12 days before the season opener in Cleveland- does throw a wild card into how the Cowboys’ running back committee has looked in camp and the preseason. But the coach confirmed that signing the former second-round draft pick- who’s had four 1,000-yard campaigns in seven NFL seasons- was no spur-of-the-moment impulse purchase. “There’s been interest for quite some time,” McCarthy said. “Personally, I’m a fan. I’ve seen him run down the sideline from the opposite side of the field too many times. He’s just a hell of a player. I think when you just look at our roster additions this year, we’ve added some veteran experience- more than we’ve had in the past- and he’s a great example of it.” [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] But pairing Cook with Elliott- the two have combined for over 15,000 career rushing yards and seven Pro Bowl nods- should in no way leave Dowdle, who has a grand total of 385 rushing yards after four injury-filled pro seasons, as the odd man out. McCarthy readily admits that the undrafted South Carolina product will see “a lesser role” only on special teams this year, and that’s because the plan is for him to play more in the Cowboys offense. “I think I definitely should get a bigger role this year, and I’m looking forward to it,” Dowdle said after Cook’s signing, per The Athletic‘s Jon Machota. “The more you can do, the better. When you can catch out of the backfield, run routes, and also run the ball well, it’s hard to take you off the field. I want to be a three-down back.” And being in a timeshare with two longtime workhorses doesn’t worry Dowdle in the least. “One guy is not going out there, being on an eight-play drive, staying eight plays in a row or something like that,” he said. “It’s kind of flipping it: four and four, having a third guy come in, just making sure we have fresh legs on the field at all times.” Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.