DALLAS — The offseason for the Dallas Cowboys has not gotten off to a strong start, as I’m sure you’ve heard, but some of it was expected. With a high number of free agents, the Cowboys were destined to lose some players on the open market.
What wasn’t expected was the team’s inability to extend their best players. The Cowboys came into the offseason with the Big Three to re-sign with quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and pass rusher Micah Parsons due for extensions. So far, there hasn’t been any re-upping, and no deals appear imminent.
While it’s not entirely surprising that Jerry and Stephen Jones haven’t worked out any contracts for big name players – they are often very slow to finalize deals. But what is strange to see is that there’s no apparent sense of urgency to get any of them done.
For a team that’s up against the salary cap, an extension with Lamb or Prescott could open up space to allow the Cowboys to sign some more help in free agency and improve a roster that is expected to contend in 2024. That also doesn’t seem like a priority.
Jerry Jones spoke recently about Prescott being a quarterback capable of winning the Super Bowl, so it’s puzzling to see that he hasn’t tried harder to work out an extension and, by doing so, give the team more wiggle room to try to help Prescott get over the hump. Wouldn’t he want to keep a QB that continues to give his team the best chance at winning? Wouldn’t he want to put the best roster that he can in front of that QB?
These are the questions that have plagued the offseason for the Cowboys beyond everyone needing to learn a new definition for what Jones thinks “all in” apparently means.
Instead of answering these questions, the Joneses seem content to allow the contract saga to linger. If a deal isn’t reached before the season, it’s possible that Prescott becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2025 and could command the largest deal in NFL history.
If the organization doesn't pay the price for Prescott now, they aren’t likely to like the cost next March. The team also doesn’t have the use of the franchise tag for the QB, so if the All-Pro signal caller and MVP runner-up does get to free agency, his time in Dallas is likely done which would put the franchise back at square one.
Of course, that doomsday scenario aside, a deal can be worked out at any time, but with the history between the team and Prescott’s agent, anything can happen.
The same can be said for Lamb and his potential new deal. The team would be wise to work out a new contract with one of the best WRs in the league, but there’s been little movement on an extension.
Lamb is coming off a historic year where he broke many of the Cowboys’ single-season records and earned a first-team All-Pro nod. The four-year veteran is firmly entrenched as a top WR in the league and should be compensated as such.
Unlike with Prescott, however, the Cowboys do have more ways to keep Lamb after the season, including the use of the franchise tag. The team has used it without issues in the past and would likely do so again next year if they can’t work out an extension.
It’s understandable why Lamb would want to take this a little slower. Fellow All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson is up for a new deal as well and perhaps Lamb’s representatives want to see what his draftmate gets before agreeing to a new contract.
It’s also exactly why Dallas should have some urgency to get Lamb’s deal done first. The longer the team waits, they assume the risk of Jefferson getting a new deal and him setting the bar for where Lamb should be paid. The Cowboys often fail to acknowledge that the cost to keep star players never goes down, it always goes up. Holding their nose and cutting the check will actually save them a sum in the long run.
Parsons is the last guy in line for a new deal, just because he’s the furthest away from free agency. The All-Pro defender has two years before his deal is up but is eligible to negotiate an extension now. It might seem like the team has time to get something done, but as we’ve seen with the Joneses, they move at a snail’s pace when it comes to large contracts.
Make no mistake, Parsons’ deal is expected to be a record-breaker. The pass rusher could be looking to become one of – if not the – highest-paid defensive players in the NFL.
The Cowboys already picked up the fifth-year option on the rookie contract for the 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft, but the goal is to keep Parsons in Dallas for much longer. To do that, the Cowboys must be willing to open the checkbook and hand over a large sum of money to Parsons. That’s not something Stephen Jones has an easy time doing in his role as primary negotiator.
It was unlikely that the organization would get all three of the extensions for their superstars done in one offseason, but the hope was they would get two extensions on the books, and at least one completed before free agency to give the team the ability to improve the roster. That hasn’t happened, and the Cowboys are currently sitting idly as other teams get better.
Over two months have passed since the Cowboys were embarrassed at home in the playoffs, and they’ve followed that up by looking foolish in the offseason as well. Sadly, it’s on par with how the Cowboys have operated in recent years when tough decisions must be made regarding contracts.
No deals are done, and none appear to be on the horizon for any of the Big Three in Dallas.
Which Cowboys superstar do you think will next be extended? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
