Why Jaylon Smith will sign with the Dallas Cowboys first

It’s training camp and yet the biggest story remains contracts for future free agents. How can the Dallas Cowboys afford the players they want to keep?

The Dallas Cowboys have too many key players due a contract. It is a problem that many NFL teams would love to have.

The Cowboys front office would have you believe that running back Ezekiel Elliott’s holdout is no big deal. They will tell the fans that sooner rather than later a deal will get done.

Apparently, quarterback Dak Prescott did not ask for a $40 million per year contract. But is a $35 million a year average any different in terms of how crazy the money is for quarterbacks?

When asked about a possible contract extension, here’s what linebacker Jaylon Smith, who is scheduled to be a restricted free agent in 2020, told DallasCowboys.com,

"“For me, I’m going to be a Cowboy and a Cowboy for the rest of my life. They took a risk on me.”"

Three players with big dollars in their future and three different ways in which it is being handled. The players are quick to say that the front office needs to manage the cap but we have yet to hear anyone offer the olive branch to reach consensus.

Besides the player’s agent and the team’s negotiators, no one knows how far apart the sides are in their negotiations. The team said to not expect any deals while they were in Oxnard but left the teaser that the deals will come when they get back to Dallas.

Which contract will fall first? With wide receiver Amari Cooper and Prescott on the last year of their deals, it would be wise to make sure at least one of them get signed to a team friendly deal so that the franchise tag will be available for the other.

Ezekiel Elliott’s threat to not play in 2019 without a new deal is a lose-lose proposition. The Cowboys lose because the straw that stirs their drink is not playing. Elliott loses because his contract can be tolled if he does not show up.

My money is on the Cowboys signing the first contract with a player that sets the example that a team friendly deal is a workable solution for everyone. This is why I think Jaylon Smith will be the first to be signed despite his team control through the 2020 season.

According to former coach Herman Edwards you play to win the game. Let’s hope that the players and the team realize that is the common goal. The Cowboys are setup to be Super Bowl contenders for the next few years but this could unravel fast if greed and ego factor into the equation.