The Dallas Cowboys don’t have to choose between paying quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper. If the 2020 free agency period were a “Sophie’s Choice” situation, it’s clear Prescott is the player owner Jerry Jones should hand the blank check to.
It’s not just because having a top-flight quarterback is the most important thing in all of team sports. It’s also because the Cowboys offense wouldn’t function at all without Prescott. It could, conceivably, continue motoring along without Cooper. The analytically inclined Football Outsiders discussed exactly this recently, citing third-year Michael Gallup as one of the reasons Dallas could survive the loss of their de facto No. 1 receiver.
This is a situation the Cowboys shouldn’t overthink. Prescott finished first with 1,546 passing DYAR and sixth with 27.2% passing DVOA. They should loosen their purse strings for him, even if it costs them the ability to keep free-agent skill players Amari Cooper, Randall Cobb, and Jason Witten. Michael Gallup’s 13.6% receiving DVOA fell short of Cooper’s 22.4%, but it was still top-20 in football. He can be the team’s new No. 1 receiver if they lose Cooper.
Despite the lull in contract talks, there’s no reason to hit the panic button quite yet. The price tag on Prescott has grown astronomically in the last calendar year, but that hasn’t spurred the Cowboys front office to get back to the negotiating table. Stephen Jones let it be known nothing is going to happen until the CBA in place for the 2020 league year is a known quantity.
Stephen Jones said no contract with QB Dak Prescott or WR Amari Cooper will be agreed upon until CBA rules for the 2020 league year are decided. Cowboys met with Cooper and his agent Chafie Fields at Super Bowl in Miami. “Very upbeat” conversation.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) February 24, 2020
The NFL and NFLPA have not agreed to a CBA extension as of yet, with the players having yet to vote on the proposal that includes a 17th game, a seventh playoff berth in each conference, changes that favor paying bottom-of-roster players better but make little difference to the stars of the game.
It’s possible an agreement on a new CBA will alter whether or not Dallas has the ability to place a tag on both Prescott and Cooper, or have to choose between the two.
Most expect both Prescott and Cooper to be in the fold come September. With numerous defensive free agents scheduled to hit the market, the Cowboys best chance to win in 2020 may be to rely on a weaponized offense. Regardless, until the ink hits the dotted line, there will be plenty of speculation on the cost and allocation of resources used on their two offensive stars.
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