Cowboys’ Stephen Jones hints at franchise tag plan and major offseason move

With the combine taking place this week, the NFL offseason is ramping up. Pretty soon the legal tampering period will open, and the Dallas Cowboys will be free to negotiate and verbally agree to contracts with unrestricted free agents.

What dominos might fall before then?

For starters, the franchise tag window opened last week, and the Cowboys are all too familiar with exercising that option. Dalton Schultz received the tag last year, while Dak Prescott played on the tag in each of the previous two seasons before agreeing to an extension.

It remains to be seen if Dallas will use the tag this offseason. That said, Stephen Jones addressed the media from the combine in Indianapolis and said the team isn’t “afraid” of the tag and will “probably use it again this year.”

Is that Tony Pollard’s music we’re hearing?

Cowboys likely to use franchise tag, extend Dak Prescott this offseason

Giving Pollard the franchise tag makes all the sense in the world for the Cowboys. Coming off a major injury, the tag doesn’t tie Dallas to Pollard beyond 2023. Further, the franchise tag price for running backs is a reasonable $10.09 million. Assuming Pollard would somewhere between $11-14 million annually on the open market, the tag represents a potential bargain.

Stephen Jones was also asked about Dak Prescott’s future. To say the front office is sold on Prescott as the QB of the now and future would be an understatement. Here’s what Jones told reporters, via ESPN’s Todd Archer.

"“I’ve got all the faith in the world we can win this thing with Dak.”“Because we know him. We know what he’s about. His leadership skills are undeniable. Impeccable work ethic. Other than he hadn’t won some key playoff games, he’s everything you want in a quarterback. From the day he walked in the door, he’s won a lot of games. We just got to get over the hump.”"

Prescott is only signed through the 2024 season, and will account for a $49.2 million cap hit in 2023. Restructuring his contract is one way to create more cap room, but extending him would knock out two birds with one stone in saving cap space (over $24 million) and leaving no doubt that Dak is the guy.

“We’ve got to have a plan to ultimately extend Dak,” Jones said.

The general media and NFL Twitter love to paint Prescott as a mediocre quarterback, but most of Cowboys Nation understands only a handful of guys in the league are better and Dallas is lucky to have him. An extension is in the best interest of the franchise … so long as the front office supplies him with more talent.

That’s a topic for another day.

Daniel Jones insane contract demands should end Cowboys’ Dak Prescott narrative

Daniel Jones is reportedly seeking $45 million per year. That ask alone should end the narrative that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is overpaid.