Dallas City News

Contract discussions have dominated the internet as the front office of the Dallas Cowboys attempts to maintain a competitive roster. Players like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons will all be receiving ginormous deals soon and the Cowboys’ lack of action from the front office has some questioning their intentions. Do they plan to keep all three, and if they do, is that even possible?

Those questions contain a lot to unpack, but we’ll give it a shot as it remains a topic of great significance for this football team. In this two-parter, we’ll see if we can predict the fate of these star players, starting today with whether or not the team wants to hang on to them. In the spirit of keeping an open mind, we’ll try to explore both sides of the equation. Let’s get started.

DAK PRESCOTT

It seems fitting to start with the most polarizing of Cowboys’ players. Fans are divided about their franchise quarterback, so it wouldn’t be hard to believe the front office might be also. Quarterbacks are expensive, so this one needs careful attention. Making a large commitment could result in problems if they don’t deliver results.

Why they should keep him: It may not be apparent because of the attention that surrounds Prescott, but he’s actually a really good quarterback. In two more years, he’ll have all the Cowboys passing records – completions, yards, and touchdowns. And if you think that’s just a volume stat, it’s not. His per-game numbers are outstanding. Of all the Cowboys quarterbacks who have thrown at least 200 passes, no QB has a higher completion percentage or a lower interception percentage than Prescott. He’s coming off a year where he finished second in league MVP voting. Call us crazy, but it feels like this Dak fella is pretty darn good. And you better believe the Joneses remember what it’s like without a reliable quarterback.

Why they might let him go: Quarterbacks are expensive. It’s not an easy decision to invest 20% of your yearly cap space for just one guy. The Cowboys have been good at drafting in recent years and it feels like there’s always another guy awaiting a big paycheck. In three years alone (2020-2022), the Cowboys drafted five All-Pro players, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, Micah Parsons, Tyler Smith, and DaRon Bland. Only one of them has secured a long-term second contract (Diggs). If the Cowboys feel that Prescott is a big part of why they spin their wheels come playoff time, then maybe they’d be willing to take their chances with someone else who would be considerably cheaper. And we can’t ignore that they are kicking the tires on Trey Lance. What happens over the next few months could go a long way in how the Cowboys approach this.

CEEDEE LAMB

Dak’s fate will be known soon. If the Cowboys don’t sign him to an extension before the season begins, he’ll likely be playing elsewhere in 2025 and the team will collect the highest eligible compensatory pick (no. 97) in the 2026 draft. With Lamb, it’s a different story. The Cowboys have options. Lamb is playing the last year of his rookie deal (fifth-year option), but if a deal doesn’t get done soon, the Cowboys can apply the franchise tag to him next year to buy them a little more time.

Why they should keep him: From the moment he stepped on the field, Lamb has been fantastic. He’s gotten better every season with a steady growth of receiving yard totals:

• 2020 = 935 yards
• 2021 = 1,102 yards
• 2022 = 1,309 yards
• 2023 = 1,749 yards

He is coming off a season where he averaged over 100 yards per game en route to his third straight Pro Bowl season and back-to-back All-Pro season. Lamb has established himself as one of the better receivers in the game.

Why they might let him go: There won’t be a lot said here to make a strong case to part ways with Lamb. The only argument one might make is that there has been a rise in wide receiver talent coming out of college in recent years. Over the last four years, 17 receivers have been drafted who are averaging over 800 yards receiving per year. They are:

• 2023: Puka Nacua, Rashee Rice, Jordan Addison, and Zay Flowers
• 2022: Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, George Pickens, and Drake London
• 2021: Ja’Marr Chase, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith
• 2020: Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins, and Michael Pittman Jr.

Seven wide receivers were selected in the first round in this year’s draft. There’s some good receiving talent coming out of college as of late, but would the Cowboys dare move on from an already proven talent and go back to the well?

MICAH PARSONS

Imagine being a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in each of your first three seasons in the NFL. That’s what Parsons has done, finishing second in 2021 and 2022 and then third last season. While he hasn’t walked away with the hardware, he’s the only player to finish top three in each of those seasons. Since entering the league, he’s been consistently awesome. Parsons has two more years left on his rookie deal after the team exercised his fifth-year option this offseason.

Why they should keep him: Parsons has been amazing from the start. His unique blend of strength and speed makes him one of the most fierce defenders in the game. He’s a dynamic player who opposing teams constantly game plan against. He already has over 40 sacks in his career, and it’s as if the team has been blessed with another player like Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware.

Why they might let him go: There’s been some whispers about what type of person Parsons is. And while he hasn’t gotten into any trouble as a pro, there are other supposed issues. Where is his leadership? What’s with all these podcasts and extracurricular non-football activities? Why isn’t he in camp? While all of that could be a bunch of fluff, there have been some rumblings from people with their ears close to the ground who have questioned the team’s perception of Parsons. Premiere edge rushers are very expensive so if the team has plans to throw $200 million his way, they certainly want to make sure he’s the right kind of guy.

After sifting through the evidence, do you think the Cowboys want to keep all these guys? If they pass on one of them, their salary cap issues become a whole lot easier. But if they want to keep them, is it even possible? Tomorrow, we’ll look at the financials and determine if this is even a path the Cowboys can take.