Under the franchise tag, the Dallas Cowboys have control of Dak Prescott’s rights for one more season. What happens beyond the 2020 season is anyone’s guess, but if the Cowboys are weighing other options it might not even get to that point. That’s because they could actually consider trading No. 4 before it ever gets that far.
Now, let me make this perfectly clear before we get started. I’m a fan of Dak Prescott and I think he will be a member of the organization until his career comes to an end. However, that doesn’t mean the Dallas Cowboys shouldn’t weigh all of their options right now and that includes possibly trading away their franchise QB this year.
Unless the Dallas Cowboys can convince Dak Prescott to sign a team friendly contract extension next year, they could find themselves facing some serious salary-cap problems. It’s unlikely Prescott is going to sign anything team friendly, otherwise that would have already happened. That puts the Cowboys in a tough situation, which makes a trade a very real possibility.
If the Cowboys are going to trade Prescott away, now might be the best time to do so. Andy Dalton is more than capable of taking over as the starter, especially considering he’s surrounded by more talent than he’s ever had at any point in his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s not ideal and there’s no denying there might be a dip in production at QB, but it might be in the best interest of the organization down the road.
Prescott should net the Cowboys at least a couple of first-round draft picks and possibly more if traded away. Add that to their 2021 draft picks – which includes the max number (4) of compensatory picks a team can receive – and they should be able to package a deal in order to move up in next year’s draft to select their targeted QB. It’s a gamble, but what isn’t in the NFL?
The Dallas Cowboys would then have their QB on a much more affordable rookie contract and could allocate the money saved to upgrade other positions. Any kind of concerns with the decreased 2021 salary-cap could be put to bed as well. It’s definitely a risky move, but the Cowboys have never been opposed to taking these kind of risks in the past.
This of course is all speculation on my part and will probably never even happen. However, it is an option the Dallas Cowboys probably at the very least need to investigate. With contract negotiations with Dak Prescott and his representatives likely not improving much next year, they need to keep an open mind as it pertains to the future of the organization.
