Cowboys news: ESPN reports Dallas will not let Dak Prescott hit free agency
According to ESPN, the Cowboys will not allow Dak Prescott to enter free agency. Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys have not fully committed to each other in recent public statements, but the Cowboys have no serious qualms about their quarterback. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler stated on Friday’s “NFL Live” that the Cowboys are still “all-in” on re-signing Prescott and fully aim to keep him from becoming a free agency in 2025. “They are fully committed to re-signing Dak Prescott. “They just haven’t shown it yet,” Fowler explained. “I’m told that behind the scenes, they’ve made it clear that they don’t want him to become a free agent in 2025.” They want him as the quarterback of the future, but the deal has been described to me.
It is unclear why the Cowboys are going so slowly with Prescott’s agreement, unless they are waiting for Trevor Lawrence or Tua Tagovailoa to set the market.
Cooks has clearly been appreciated by NFL teams, who have paid him well and traded for him many times since his draft in 2014. However, he has never been named to the Pro Bowl or first-team All-Pro, and his club has lost four of his six 1,000-yard seasons, implying that he has spent a significant portion of his career on the periphery of competition. So, even before 2023, he was definitely eligible for a “lifetime underappreciation award.” Even he admits that he is no longer the top pass-catching option on the field. Nonetheless, he has kept his per-catch average above 12 yards over the last two seasons, and he thinks he’s “ready to rock” after cleaning things up in the second half.
It feels hard to believe it’s gotten to this point. After all, Lamb was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and averaged 87 catches and 1,132 receiving yards over the three years prior to that. It’s easy to imagine a world where the Cowboys extend him for $25 million a year ahead of time — similar to what we’re seeing right now with St. Brown, Smith and Waddle. Instead, the fifth-year option on Lamb’s contract is costing the Cowboys $17 million on this year’s salary cap, hindering their ability to sign outside free agents. And of course, his eventual deal should easily exceed $30 million per year.
Proactive behavior hasn’t often been the Cowboys’ strong suit when it comes to top-of-the-market players, though. Lamb can ask Prescott about that, as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback is in the middle of the second contract standoff of his career.
To be fair to the Cowboys, maybe this was all part of the plan. It’s worth mentioning that CAA, one of the game’s most powerful agencies, represents both Lamb and Jefferson. Maybe it’s both the players and the teams waiting to see how these cards are dealt. Whatever posturing is going on now seems immaterial. Each passing deal that is signed serves as a reminder that Lamb and Jefferson will eventually dominate the receiver market. The only question now is how many more leaves remain to fall.
In terms of first-team offensive line work, Brock Hoffman handled the most of the communication up front and spoke with Dak Prescott substantially more than he did the previous year. As he seeks to establish his place in the center fight, his contact with QB1 will be critical. TJ Bass, Cooper Beebe, and Dakoda Shepley were among the other centers hired. The running back by committee style continues to gain attention, and while 2024 is expected to be a smorgasbord of contributions from multiple players, the team did split between the first and second-team groups at one point during practice.
That allowed the media to see who could be at the front of that room with Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle and Hunter Luepke residing with the first-team and Deuce Vaughn, Royce Freeman, Snoop Conner, Malik Davis and Nathaniel Peat working with the second-team.
Tyler Smith, the Dallas Cowboys’ left guard, is going through an intriguing “first” since joining the NFL in 2022: he’s focused solely on one position before the regular season. “I’m definitely excited just knowing where I’m going to be and what I need to improve on,” Smith told reporters during the second week of Cowboys OTAs. “Obviously, we have to remain prepared because it is part of our mantra—five is one. Whatever happens, everyone must step up, but I’m quite happy to be able to work at that location and continue to improve every day.” Tyler Smith’s reason for excitement should be the opposing NFL teams’ reason for fear. Smith was remarkably good at tackle with little preparation as a rookie and rose through the ranks as a second-team All-Pro last year playing inside. In the process, he dominated the likes of Aaron Donald, Jalen Carter, and many other top defensive tackles around the league.
Now he’s got a full season at the position under his belt and will enter his third year fully specialized.
Mike Zimmer will take over as head coach on defense in 2024. The former Vikings coach brings with him more split safety looks and a higher demand on his secondary. Thomas was frequently assigned to multiple coverage safety responsibilities under Geoff Collins’ scheme at Georgia Tech. Thomas was versatile in a variety of jobs, ranging from single high to split appearances. These were the roles he performed well in, and they could lead to further opportunities with the Cowboys. After a brief inventory of Dallas’ safety room, it appears that there will be opportunities in the back half for a safety who can play in a 2-high position. Since Wilson and Bell are both at their best near the line of scrimmage, Thomas could find himself competing for snaps as 2-high safety alongside Hooker. It’s that role where his intelligence and consistency can win Zimmer over and it’s there where he could carve out a greater role in passing situations.
Running back Deuce Vaughn was undoubtedly the most popular rookie on the Cowboys at this time last year. His story with his father and being drafted by the team was remarkable, and everyone was hopeful that things would work out for him on the field. Unfortunately, it was not the case during 2023, as Vaughn was only employed sporadically. Throughout his debut year, he carried the ball 23 times for 40 yards. However, getting Vaughn into space, where he is most deadly, does not necessitate a handoff. During his tenure at Kansas State, he did an enormous amount of damage in the passing game, which it appears that the Cowboys want to tap into.
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