Deadline draws near with Dallas Cowboys risking facing future minus Dak Prescott at QB
It’s T minus two days until the July 15 deadline for the Dallas Cowboys to sign Dak Prescott to a long-term deal or have him play on the franchise tag for the 2020 season and possibly start the process of moving on from him at quarterback.
The players are scheduled to report to training camp on July 28, under an NFL proposal.
But none of that is set in stone as the league and the NFL Players Association have yet to agree on a plan for returning to play and protocol, putting that timetable in jeopardy.
But the Cowboys’ short-term priorities are clear: resolve the Prescott situation and begin the process of signing the rookie draft class to contracts.
Nothing else is on the table.
As of now, a source said there has been no talk and no interest in making a move for New York Jets safety Jamal Adams, who has requested a trade and has publicly identified the Cowboys as a preferred destination.
The Cowboys tried to acquire Adams at the trade deadline last season but the asking price was too high. That remains the case, and the prospect of having to give Adams a new contract making him the highest-paid safety in the game is a nonstarter with the Prescott situation still unsettled.
The source said the team has no interest in pursuing Seattle Seahawks free agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who has reportedly listed the Cowboys as a preferred destination. Clowney is too expensive with offers on the table of $15 million annually or more.
The Cowboys are already paying defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence $21 million annually and they signed Aldon Smith to help solve their pass-rush woes.
The same is true for Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku, a former first-round pick who has requested a trade and has also expressed interest in the Cowboys.
There is no interest in Dallas, where Blake Jarwin and Blake Bell are set to solidify the position following the departure of the aging Jason Witten to the Oakland Raiders in free agency.
The team has also all but given up hope of defensive end Randy Gregory being reinstated from indefinite suspension, according to well-placed sources inside and outside the team. However, on Monday Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said via text that the team remains hopeful for Gregory’s return before players are to report to training camp later this month.
So the roster for the start of training camp is pretty much set.
The only thing left is the business of the game with Prescott and the rookie draft picks.
And the latter shouldn’t be a problem as the delay can only be attributed to logistics surrounding the COVID-19 shutdown.
The Cowboys have signed none of their seven 2020 draft picks, including first-rounder CeeDee Lamb, because they have not been allowed to take physicals, a source said.
All the interactions have been virtually with workouts and team meetings.
Once the players are allowed to report to The Star in Frisco, the deals should be completed quickly.
That makes the Prescott contract the only question mark.
He is due $31.4 million in 2020 on the franchise tag but Prescott and the team would like to come to terms on a long-term deal.
The two sides are still not close to coming to terms. Per source, they have not had contract talks since March when the Cowboys offered a five-year deal worth more than $34 million per year with $110 million guaranteed that Prescott turned down.
The franchise tag rises to $37.7 million in 2021 and a staggering $54 million in 2022.
If the sides are unable to get a deal done by Wednesday following more than a year of negotiations, why would there be hope they will come to terms following the 2020 season?
And if the Cowboys are forced to tag him again in 2021, which could be crippling in a year when the salary cap will be compromised by the millions of losses in 2020 due to COVID-19, they could be looking for a new quarterback in 2022 as there is no way they could afford the cost of a third tag.
This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
