Why the Dallas Cowboys can’t compete with the Eagles long term

The Dallas Cowboys traveled to Philadelphia to play the Eagles on Sunday and lost. Here’s why the Cowboys won’t compete with the Eagles long term.

The Dallas Cowboys went on a contract signing spree this past offseason. They signed four players, running back Ezekiel Elliott, linebacker Jaylon Smith, tackle La’el Collins and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence to contracts totaling nearly $313 million over 22 years term.

The Eagles have had a similar contract signing spree this season. They signed five players, quarterback Carson Wentz, center Jason Kelce, tackle Lane Johnson, guard Brandon Brooks and defensive end Brandon Graham, to contracts totaling nearly $321 million over 18 years term.

The game on Sunday didn’t decide the division but took the playoffs out of Dallas control. The signed contracts will have an impact on who wins the NFC East division over the next four years. Let’s take a look at the comparable contracts.

Offensive Tackle

The Cowboys and Eagles both signed their right tackles to extensions this year. This will be an easy comparison. The Cowboys signed Collins to a five-year extension worth $50 million bringing his current contract to a six-year, $54 million value. Collins’ new money averages $10 million per year and his total contract averages $9 million per season.

The Eagles signed Johnson to a four-year extension worth $72 million bringing his current contract to a seven-year $112 million value. Johnson’s new money averages $18 million per year and his total contract averages $16 million per season.

Pro Football Focus currently rates Johnson as the number one tackle. Collins is the third rated tackle.

The performance drop-off doesn’t match the contract disparity. Advantage Cowboys.

Offensive Guard

The Cowboys and Eagles both have top-tier guards on their offensive line. Zack Martin is a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time first team All Pro during the first six years of his career. Brandon Brooks has made the Pro Bowl the past three seasons.

The Cowboys signed Martin to a six-year contract extension valued at $84 million during the 2018 offseason that kicked in for the 2019 season. Martin’s deal averages $14 million per season over the contract term.

The Eagles signed Brooks to a four-year extension worth $56 million bringing his current contract to a six-year $73 million value. Brooks’ new money averages $14 million per year and his total contract averages $12 million per season.

PFF currently rates Brooks as the number one guard and number one overall offensive lineman. Martin is the third rated guard and third rated lineman.

The cheaper player has a higher performance rating. Advantage Eagles.

Center

The Cowboys and Eagles both like their centers. Travis Frederick‘s recovery from Guillain-Barré syndrome has been remarkable. He is still not the player he was before but to be on the field this season has been inspirational.

Combining the six-year extension with the remaining two years that were restructured on his rookie deal, the Cowboys locked Frederick up for eight years at $79 million. Frederick’s deal averages $10 million per season over the contract term.

The Eagles signed Kelce to a three-year extension worth $24.5 million. Kelce’s total contract averages $8.2 million per season. Pro Football Focus currently rates Kelce as the number one center. Frederick is not rated in the top 25 offensive linemen.

The cheaper player has a higher performance rating. Advantage Eagles.

Defensive Line

The Cowboys signed Lawrence to a big deal this past offseason. The Eagles signed Fletcher Cox to a big deal in 2016. Dallas signed Lawrence to a five-year contract valued at $105 million. Lawrence’s deal averages $21 million per season over the contract term.

The Eagles signed Cox to a six-year contract worth $103 million. The deal averages $17 million per year. Pro Football Focus currently rates Cox with an 87.3 score. Lawrence PFF score is less than 88.7 given that he was not rated in the top four edge rushers in the NFC.

The cheaper player likely has higher performance. Advantage Eagles.

Quarterback

The Cowboys want to re-sign Dak Prescott. The Eagles committed to Carson Wentz over the summer. The Eagles signed Wentz to a four-year extension worth $128 million. This brought the total contract to six years and $155 million for a $26 million average.

So far this season, Wentz is the 15th rated quarterback per Pro Football Focus. Prescott currently is the seventh rated quarterback. Since he has waited to sign his deal, Prescott is seeking to far exceed the deal Wentz signed last offseason. While that is Prescott’s right, the increasing price tag will make it harder for the Cowboys to compete over the term of the contract.

The secret to the New England Patriots sustained success in the salary cap era, beyond the obvious Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback and Bill Belichick is the greatest coach arguments, is signing players for lower cap hits that perform close to players with much larger contracts. This allows the Pats to sign more really good football players and helps them win so many Super Bowls.

While you watched the game on Sunday and saw the beat up Eagles beat Dallas, remember how the New England Patriots have been so successful. And then contemplate how the Philadelphia Eagles sign their players versus how the Cowboys sign their players. Which organization do you believe in more for long-term success?

All player contract information via Spotrac.com.