The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of decisions coming up that will need to be made and they could result in a lot of money being spent. If they’re planning on keeping their core group of players together, they will need to negotiate well and for the long run. Right now, they are dealing with the prospect of both quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper becoming free agents next year, and that could spell a bit of trouble that other NFL teams would love to see.
Right now, they’re hoping to sign both Prescott and Cooper to new contracts which will be extensions to keep them in Dallas for quite a while. At the same time, they are also dealing with the fact that running back Ezekiel Elliott is going to rightfully demand more money too.
Pro Football Talk is reporting that Prescott and Cooper have a lot working in their favor right now and could use it to their advantage. With only one franchise tag to use, the Cowboys have a little bit to work with, but if the quarterback and wide receiver duo want to strong-arm the franchise, it is something they could do.
Right now, the Cowboys could negotiate a long-term deal with one player and place the franchise tag on the other if nothing is agreed upon. If that doesn’t sit well with the players, though, they could reject any offer they don’t like until the franchise tag deadline and force Dallas to let one become an unrestricted free agent.
If that happens, the Cowboys risk losing one while the other would get the franchise tag and begin negotiations. Obviously, this is not something that Dallas wants at all, and it presents a rock-and-a-hard-place situation for the organization.
Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper could turn the franchise-tag tables on the Cowboys by jointly refusing to do long-term deals, forcing the team to let one become a free agent https://t.co/HnmSqk3hnz
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 8, 2019
The Cowboys are in a situation where there are good and bad things about how everything currently stands for them. Of course, they have a very powerful offense with some extremely talented players, which should make for a good season.
At the end of the upcoming season, they will have to battle this problem with Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper. Depending on what happens with their contracts and the franchise tag, the Cowboys could end up being in the exact same situation after the next season, with Ezekiel Elliott taking the place of the now-missing Cowboy.
Potential #Cowboys Extensions
QB Dak Prescott 5 yrs, $145M, $65M fully GTD
RB Ezekiel Elliott 3 yrs, $48M, $24M fully GTD
WR Amari Cooper 4 yrs, $75M, $33M fully GTD
— Spotrac (@spotrac) May 7, 2019
If the Dallas Cowboys end up negotiating long-term extensions with Amari Cooper and Dak Prescott throughout this season, none of this will really matter. They’ll be in a pretty good place and will go into next season with key components in place, as they begin work on Ezekiel Elliott. If Cooper and Prescott receive offers they don’t like, though, they could work together for the advantage of both.
