Dallas isn't that creative and doesn't think like that. We know it. This doesn't mean we have to be limited in our thoughts; Especially not in November.
At the end of August, the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott agreed to a further four-year extension, but that does not mean that the two teams will be tied to each other for that long. Prescott will now be out for the remainder of 2022, marking the third time in five seasons that he has missed a significant portion of action due to injury. Coming from a world where the back of the last franchise quarterback gave up on leading the franchise for a decade, Dallas fans are well-prepared (hypersensitive?) to face a reality in which the team despite the financial aspect may differ from his current situation.
Even before he suffered the serious hamstring injury that required surgery, Prescott didn't look nearly as mobile as the 2023 version of himself. It's not against Prescott to say that as the Dallas front office scouts the landscape of incoming rookies and identified a QB who they believe is a franchise leader and that player is available to them, they can't get him on the roster.
The Green Bay Packers will forever be seen as a model for this approach. Even though they had Brett Favre, they chose Aaron Rodgers. Even though they had Rodgers, they drafted Jordan Love. Both decisions took time to develop, but they have allowed this organization to have a top QB for the past three decades.
So if Dallas sees a QB in Round 1, they should feel comfortable drafting him and waiting until Prescott's deal reaches a point where it may be financially acceptable to move on from him in a trade. Fans shouldn't worry about a no-trade clause; It's honestly just a right of refusal that's keeping Prescott from ending up in NFL Siberia against his will. In this exercise we will clarify this with the 2025 draft.
Here is a four-round mock of Week 12 conducted on Pro Football Focus.
Dallas signed Prescott to a four-year, $240 million extension, above and beyond what was already scheduled for 2024. The extension has four voided years at the end, allowing Dallas to restructure each season and push the cap into the future. As things currently stand, Prescott will count $89 million against the 2025 cap. If the Cowboys want to get out of the deal sooner rather than later, they won't be touching much, if anything, of this. The other option is to push the cap hit up to $36 million into the future.
If Dallas wants to go the Green Bay route, it makes sense to stay out of that cap space and eat the big hit while they reboot the roster. Prescott's presence on the team gives Dallas a level of credibility to stay in the public eye.
Even with the prospect of a lost season, Dallas will be able to sell a competitive season based on the stars locked in for 2025. Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland are enough to market successfully. And if there's a burgeoning quarterback controversy fueling the fire? Even better.
Eating Prescott's big-cap hit in 2025 allows the Cowboys to get some cap savings in 2026 and a ton in 2027 if they decide to take a draft pick in Year 2 or Year 3. Dallas would save $6 million in cap space if they traded Prescott in 2026, and if he started the next two seasons, they would see $28 million in savings in 2027.
Allowing Prescott to rebuild his value in 2025, trading him for multiple first-round picks and already having a new franchise signal-caller in tow seems like a viable path for the next head coach.
The current draft order prediction for Week 12 has the Cowboys sitting at No. 9 in the first round draft order with their 3-6 record.
September 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones on the field before the game against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. Dallas defeated New Orleans 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas has needs everywhere and, as always, needs to balance their free agent moves… ahaha, just kidding. They need to balance their availability forecasts. If they have two positions to fill fairly evenly and one is top-heavy and the other is deep, taking the prospect from the top-heavy position is probably a better decision.
Dallas needs a running back, wideout, defensive end and defensive tackle. They may also need help at safety depending on whether they give the young players a chance to prove their worth and the depth at linebacker as well. And as explained above, a QB shouldn't be ruled out if someone he thinks is special is staring him in the face.
BOULDER, COLORADO – APRIL 27: Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes warms up before their spring game at Folsom Field on April 27, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
- Jacksonville Jaguars: WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado
- Tennessee Titans: WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
- Cleveland Browns: CB Will Johnson, Michigan
- Las Vegas Raiders: QB Cam Ward, Miami
- New York Giants: RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
- New England Patriots: DE Abdul Carter, Penn State
- New York Jets: QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama
- Carolina Panthers: Safety Malaki Starks, Georgia
Oct 29, 2017; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of a Bengals helmet on the sidelines of the Indianapolis Colts game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The Bengals called and offered Dallas a really good deal to move down three spots by adding a third-round pick in exchange for one of the Cowboys' fifth-round compensatory picks.
Cowboys get 1.12, 3.76 for 1.9, 5.171
Oct 28, 2018; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Denver Broncos helmet during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
This one is a little riskier and slips seven places. But the clear goal now is to accumulate picks in the first two days of the draft and walk away with a quarterback who will allow the team to get out of Prescott's contract over the next two years.
Once again, the Broncos offered a solid compensation package.
Cowboys get 1.19, 2.51, Broncos get 1.12, 5.145.
April 27, 2024; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) during a spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
1.19: QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
2:41: DT Walter Nolen, Mississippi
2.51: WR Kyren Lacy, LSU
3.73: DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
3.76: HB Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
