Dallas City News

Dak: ‘Says a lot’ if deal is not done by season start – Nick Harris, DallasCowboys.com

Dak Prescott is focused on the season amidst all the contract negotiations.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on Wednesday that since “Dak is here” there is “no more to do” to ensure that the team is ready to go by the time it takes the field against Cleveland on Sept. 8. For any hope about getting a deal done before that date, there doesn’t seem to be urgency on either side.

“Not really sure,” Prescott said on if he will be the next to sign a big deal with Dallas. “Not my focus anymore, to be honest. I can’t say it was ever my focus. It’s about getting this team better.”

“That’s up to [agent Todd France] and those guys. I’m not going to be a part of them once the season starts. They’ve been going heavily through Todd and Stephen [Jones] both. It’s all part of it.”

While some players would want the comfort of knowing that the future is in place going into a contract year, Prescott has always operated a bit differently – going back to when he was franchise tagged in 2020.

“I don’t need it,” he said on if it needs to be done before the end of the season. “I think it says a lot if it is or it isn’t. However doesn’t really matter to me, to be honest with you.”

And if it isn’t, what does that tell Prescott?

“Just how people feel,” he said with a smile.

Why Jerry Jones’ waiting game with Dak Prescott’s contract isn‘t such a bad idea – Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News

Jerry Jones may truly want to see how Prescott performs in 2024 before committing to another contract.

”It’s easy to say when you’re talking strategy, that you put the carrot out there, you leave the incentive out there,” Jones said. ”But that’s an area that’s tricky. It’s easy for me to say I do better in bad times when the incentive is to get out of the ditch.

“It’s usually a combination of what’s best in terms of the whole — in our case, the Dallas Cowboys — and what is needed to be done on the length and the incentives of the contract. Dak’s situation, from my mirror, has more to do with our situation than it does with Dak Prescott being quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.”

Earlier this week, in a poll of 103 NFL players conducted by ESPN reporters, Prescott did not place among the top five for best quarterback in the league. He did tie with several others for eighth place on “most underrated” and did not find himself on the “most overrated” list. However, the fact that Buffalo’s Josh Allen was No. 1 on the overrated list suggests the players don’t know what they’re talking about, anyway. Dak didn’t make a list of nine elite quarterbacks that came from the brain of former QB Dan Orlovsky, and there’s no real shame in missing that ESPN boat, either. But the fact remains that a long history of watching Dak shows him to be in the “very good” category and almost never in the “great“ category, all while coming up short in the postseason. Even when he finished second in MVP voting in 2023, Dak turned in a playoff dud, silencing any hopes of a rally with an interception returned for a touchdown in the second quarter of the Green Bay debacle.

Thus, he sings for his supper in 2024. That’s probably an awkward way to phrase it for someone already making $40 million, but Cowboys fans should not sweat the idea that Jones wants to see what Dak does with a bigger payday on the line this season.

Predicting potential 2024 surprises for all 32 NFL teams – Dan Graziano, ESPN

Lots of public posturing, but there’s still a good chance a deal gets doen with Prescott; Graziano with the lowdown:

Don’t be surprised if … Dak Prescott actually does get that contract extension before the end of the calendar year.

What I’m hearing: CeeDee Lamb’s deal was the front-burner item for the past several weeks, in part because he wasn’t in camp and Prescott was. Now that Lamb is signed, the Cowboys can turn their attention to keeping their quarterback on a long-term deal.

Prescott has a historic amount of leverage, thanks to a contract that prohibits the team from using the franchise or transition tags on him after this season and a $40.1 million dead-money salary cap hit Dallas would absorb in 2025 if it lets him walk. But people close to this situation say talks in recent weeks have been positive, and there’s at least some optimism that a deal can be struck either before or early in the regular season. Whenever it happens, expect Prescott to become the highest-paid player in the league at more than $55 million per year.

Only 2 people truly motivating RB Rico Dowdle – Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com

Rico Dowdle talked to the media about his ultimate motivation as the Cowboys add Dalvin Cook to the RB room.

Asked if adding Zeke in the summer or Cook this week is extra motivation for Dowdle, he took a different perspective.

“It’s not any extra motivation. I’ve got two kids. That’s all the motivation I need. I’ve got two little girls,” Dowdle said. “It’s nice having a guy like Dalvin come in and Zeke and those guys have been in the Pro Bowl. It’s a lot of experience. I just take it all in and go out there and continue to do what I do.”

So far, everything Dowdle has done has been in a limited role. Since he arrived in 2020, Dowdle has missed 31 games, mostly to injury. He missed all of 2021 with a hip injury and 12 games in 2022 with an ankle injury.

“Last year, I missed one game and I probably could’ve played. So I was pretty healthy last year,” Dowdle said. “That’s definitely a focus of mine. I never want to miss a game. Availability is the best ability. I’m definitely doing everything I can not to be in the training room.”

Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb added extra body armor — ‘no question’ he’ll be ready for Week 1 – Jon Machota, The Athletic

With CeeDee Lamb back at practice this week, he talked to the media about his readiness for Week 1.

Lamb has been working out with his own trainers. He spent time during the offseason catching passes from Prescott on the turf field in the quarterback’s back yard. Lamb put on noticeable muscle weight during his time away. He described that process as adding extra body armor.

“Obviously had plenty of time to revamp myself physically, to become more prepared for the season,” the 25-year-old said. “Granted, I wish I would have had a camp, but it’s OK, though. It will work out on the back end. … I’m ready to go to battle.”

Can he be ready for 60-plus plays in the season opener in 11 days?

“Yes, bro,” Lamb responded. “No question. I’ll be ready.”

Lamb acknowledged that he needs to get “bumped a little bit” in practice. He has been working on that aspect of his game with his trainers, but he wants to get more reps working on his contact balance before that season opener in Cleveland. Lamb sees no reason why he can’t put up the same impressive statistics he did last season, leading the NFL in receptions (135) and targets (181) and finishing second in receiving touchdowns (13) and receiving yards (1,749). All were career-highs.

NFL agents dish on best (and worst) franchise, Mahomes’ value and Dak’s next deal – Ben Standig, The Athletic

“No. The Cowboys got themselves into a mess. That’s what happens when the owner gets too involved and becomes friends with the players. I wouldn’t pay Dak $60 million per year, and they can’t make all three guys (Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb) the highest paid at their respective positions.” (Lamb recently signed a four-year, $136 million deal that made him the second-highest paid receiver behind Justin Jefferson.)

• “No. The Cowboys want to play it out and are willing to pay the price if wrong.”

• “Yes. I can’t imagine Jerry letting him go.”

• “Hold the line. Once you start paying guys that crazy money, they effectively own part of a team. You can get a $5 million QB and win eight games. Maybe Jerry is getting hip to that reality.”

• “The issue is whether Dak is a top-five QB. He was in the regular season, but is he a difference-maker? I think Dallas is doing right by seeing what he’s worth.”

• “The Cowboys don’t have any hierarchy. Always a day late and a dollar short in free agency. You have to go through 30 layers of bureaucratic process to get anything done — and you know why.”

• “Yes, but I would love to see him hit free agency to see how the leverage plays out for that level of quarterback.”

• “Pay Dak and make him the game’s highest-paid QB — if he helps the Cowboys reach or win a Super Bowl this season.”

Dalvin Cook credits former HC Mike Zimmer for Cowboys signing – Ali Jawad, Sports Illustrated

Dalvin Cook has arrived in Dallas and is ready to hit the ground running.

Cook, a four-time Pro Bowler, declared, “I (still) got it.” He emphasized that his decision to join the Cowboys was heavily influenced by his familiarity and respect for Zimmer, who previously coached him during his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings.

“Mike Zimmer had everything to do with me signing here,” Cook stated. He further elaborated on his readiness to contribute to the team’s success, asserting, “I’m gonna be ready to go. My resume speaks for itself.”

With Cook’s arrival in Dallas, the backfield is likely to operate using a committee approach.

His consistent production and big-play ability are expected to complement the team’s existing offensive firepower, led by quarterback Dak Prescott and the highly paid CeeDee Lamb.

As Mike McCarthy enters make-or-break year, unprecedented scrutiny awaits Cowboys coach – Jarrett Bell, USAToday

Jerry Jones, owner of the most valuable sports franchise in the world, thinks coughing up a few million for a fired coach is “an issue” and would rather hang on to McCarthy, despite McCarthy’s postseason disasters.

During an interview with USA TODAY Sports in March, Jones bemoaned the “dead money” to pay off the contracts of fired coaches as a growing league issue.

McCarthy survived with his job after arguably the worst playoff loss in the storied franchise’s history – blasted, mind you, by his former team, the Green Bay Packers – with seemingly one last shot to win big.

McCarthy, 60, led the Cowboys to 12-5 finishes in each of the past three regular seasons, with two NFC East titles. Clearly, there’s a stockpile of talent, which underscores the expectation for the coach to bring out the best of the talent. The 36 regular-season victories since 2021 are second only to the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (37), which is why Jones has used a basketball metaphor in maintaining that the Cowboys have been “hanging around the rim.”

But they’ve shot airballs in the playoffs, going 1-3 in the postseason under McCarthy, including two home losses in playoff openers.