‘There’s pie left.’ Despite Dak Prescott’s deal, Jerry Jones says Cowboys can spend
Now that the Dallas Cowboys have achieved their biggest priority of the offseason, securing the services of quarterback Dak Prescott for the next four years, the question now becomes whether the front office can improve the team around him.
Prescott said it best, calling the contract just the beginning for him and the Cowboys with the ultimate goal of getting “a parade in Dallas.”
That’s a Super Bowl parade, which is something that hasn’t been seen in these parts since the Cowboys won their last title following the 1995 season exactly 25 years ago.
With Prescott signing a four-year, $160 million contract, which is the largest in franchise history and the largest signing bonus ($66 million) and first-year salary ($75 million) of any player in NFL history, do the Cowboys have the flexibility under the salary cap to make it happen?
The answer is a resounding yes, according to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
One year after saying there was only “so much pie to go around” during public negotiations with Prescott in an effort to get a team-friendly deal, Jones said there is plenty pie left for 2021 and the future, despite the record-deal coinciding with the losses in 2020 associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There’s pie left. I’ll assure there is pie left,” Jones said. “That’s a big part. This tells you all about what I think about the future of the NFL. This says that loud and clear.
“And if this contract manifests anything, it’s our belief that this decision right here is about having to take the next step today that can take off tomorrow. Our best chance to get where we want to be, which is holding that trophy up . . . manifests by signing Dak Prescott.”
Credit the creative way the Cowboys and Prescott’s agent Todd France structured the deal that includes two voidable years at the end to help spread out the cap impact.
Prescott will count just $22.2 million against the cap in 2021, which is $15.5 million less than he would have counted if the Cowboys were forced to use the $37.7 million franchise tag on him.
His cap hit is just the 13th highest of all quarterbacks in the NFL and ranks far less than Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz, whose 2021 salary will count against his new team for $25.4 million and as his old one, thanks to $33.82 million in dead money with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence will have the highest cap hit of any Cowboys player in 2021, coming in at $25 million.
The Cowboys already increased their flexibility in 2021 by restructuring the contracts of tackles La’el Collins and Tyron Smith and guard Zack Martin to create $17 million in cap room.
There is no debate about where the team plans to focus on improving. In 2020, the defense gave up the most points in franchise history and the second-most yards. The team will look to the upgrade that unit through the draft and free agency. There are no shortage of places to look. Cowboys need help at cornerback, safety, linebacker and defensive tackle.
“Based on how we negotiated this contract with Dak and Todd, it gives us the opportunity to do some things to continue to improve on the defensive side of the ball,” said team vice president Stephen Jones. “As we saw last year, it’s really hard to outscore them in this game. We’ve got to be better on the defensive side of the ball. We’ve got to go out and find good value and be efficient in free agency as we try to build that defense.”
