The Dallas Cowboys would appear to be one of the teams most likely to compete with the 49ers in the NFC next season. It is better, because they have been cornered in a corner with some really dazzling decisions that seem to shorten their disputed window.
All teams want the best players, but that is simply not possible in a sport governed by a salary cap. The secret to building and maintaining a competitor is to obtain the production of the most important positions without having to pay the market value. That is why the eraser is so extremely important.
The Cowboys have apparently ignored that strategy. Last September, broker Ezekiel Elliot was given a six-year, $ 90 million contract. Then, in March, they signed catcher Amari Cooper with a five-year, $ 100 million contract. And finally, they failed to reach a contract extension with quarterback Dak Prescott on Wednesday’s franchise deadline, which will ultimately equate to being paid more in the long run than they would have now, changing or losing him. for nothing more than a third-round compensatory draft pick.
Not all the money in those contracts is guaranteed, yes. However, Dallas is in a precarious financial position, particularly given the expected drop in league revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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According to Spotrac, the Cowboys enter the 2020 season as the only team in the league that has a top-3 cap at quarterback (first) and running (third) positions, while Cooper is ranked 16th among all wide receivers. However, for the 2021 season, all three cap hits will increase as Elliot ($ 13.7 million) will lead all riders and Cooper ($ 22.0 million) will rank second among all amphibians.
Prescott’s 2021 bump shot, on the other hand, remains in the air. Since the Cowboys did not reach an agreement with him before Wednesday’s deadline, they cannot negotiate another contract with him until the conclusion of the league’s 2020 year. If they choose to franchise it for the second consecutive season, Prescott will earn $ 37.7 million in 2021.
If they sign it for a long-term extension, you can be sure it will cost more per season than last week, as you will be able to negotiate any other quarterback contracts signed during that span. Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, for example, seems likely to sign an extension before Prescott does. And, if Dallas were to apply the franchise tag to Prescott for the third consecutive offseason in 2022, the capital blow would exploit an unrealistic $ 54.3 million.
Let’s focus on 2021, though. The Cowboys already have $ 173 million counting toward the 2021 salary cap, though they’ll rack up approximately $ 10 million in additional cap space starting in 2020. Let’s say they label Prescott again. Suddenly, they’re spending almost $ 210 million, which in theory wouldn’t be too difficult to fit within the salary cap if it stays stable at $ 198.7 million. Of course, it is highly unlikely to remain stable.
The salary cap will almost certainly drop significantly due to the loss of league income resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. The only question is, for how much?
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell exposed how cumbersome Prescott’s 2021 cap success could be depending on how far the salary cap falls. As he explained, if the salary cap were reduced to $ 150 million, “the $ 37.7 million the Cowboys would have to pay Prescott next year would feel more like paying him $ 51.3 million under his current cap situation.”
It could be argued that Prescott, Elliot, and Cooper are worth what they will be paid in 2021. But if their combined limit caps amount to $ 73.4 million, that’s almost 50 percent of a $ 150 million salary limit spent on three players. . You just can’t win in the NFL like that. Whatever the 2021 salary cap, those three will take up a large chunk of it.
Paying Elliot what they did was questionable, as there is an argument that it is a waste of top space in a position where he could find much cheaper alternatives, but still get similar production. Cooper’s deal seems more ridiculous now after Dallas selected CeeDee Lamb in the first round of the NFL Draft 2020, as he projects himself as a true No. 1 receiver.
Not coming to terms with Prescott now, however, could be the last straw. The problem has been reported to be that Dallas was unwilling to give him a four-year contract, and it is highly likely that they will regret that in the not too distant future if that is the case.
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Assuming Prescott doesn’t back down significantly in 2020, it will only cost the Cowboys more to keep going. Not to mention that the closer you get to free agency without restrictions, the more teams will compete for your services, which will raise its price.
The Cowboys should be good in 2020. Great, maybe. But while their present looks bright, it probably won’t be long until they face a very dark reality.
