Saving Dak Prescott money to build team? NFLPA calls Dallas Cowboys cheap spenders

The Dallas Cowboys have held the line on quarterback Dak Prescott’s contract largely because of their salary cap concerns and the need to have room to build a team around him.

Or, at least, that is the current narrative and one point of view they have trumpeted over the last few years during negotiations as the Cowboys have held firm to their wish for a five-year deal with Prescott dug in on four years.

It has resulted in no deal, a franchise tag in 2020 for $31.4 million and an impending franchise tag in 2021.

The team has until March 9 to sign Prescott to a long-term deal or they will place a second franchise tag on him at the rate of $37.7 million for 2021 while they continue to try to negotiate a long-term deal to the liking of both parties.

The NFL Players Association, however, seemingly called the Cowboys out on the narrative of the team hoping to get the best deal for Prescottin an effort to build a team around him.

At a virtual agent meeting last Thursday, the players union leadership not only implored player representatives for free agents at the same position to collude and increase leverage in contract talks but they also highlighted teams who were lowest spenders over the last four years.

The Cowboys were in the bottom three along with the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots in cash spending from 2017-21, according to sources who were in attendance at the meeting.

In a screen share from the Zoom meeting, the Chiefs were shown to have spent $686 million in cash over the last four years, the Cowboys were next $689 million with the Patriots at $698 million.

The biggest spenders during that time were the Atlanta Falcons ($821 million), the San Francisco 49ers ($814 million) and the Green Bay Packers ($809 million).

Now, being in either group doesn’t necessarily have a direct correlation to winning or losing.

The 49ers, Patriots and Chiefs have all made Super Bowl appearances in the last four years. The Packers were in the NFC title game last season and the Falcons lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl following the 2016 season.

But it is pertinent to the Cowboys and the Prescott narrative.

From 2016-19, they had the best bargain in sports with Prescott making $2.72 million over his first four years. He made $31.4 million on the franchise tag last season.

Yet, the Cowboys have done little to improve the team around Prescott via free agency.

They have largely gone bargain shopping with free agents between 2016-20, signing the likes of defensive ends Benson Mayowa, Aldon Smith, Kony Ealy and Everson Griffin; defensive tackles Cedric Thornton, Dontari Poe and Gerald McCoy; receivers Randall Cobb, Allen Hurns and Deonte Stewart; cornerbacks Nolan Carroll and Daryl Worley; and safeties Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and George Iloka.

None are still under contract.

The Cowboys acquired receiver Amari Cooper and defensive end Robert Quinn in trades with the Raiders and Dolphins, respectively.

While the Cowboys signed Cooper to a five-year, $100 million contract extension, Quinn walked away in free agency after one season because his price tag was too high.

The Cowboys have shown a preference to pay and keep their own draft picks, deemed as foundational pieces.

Over the past three years, they have signed guard Zack Martin, running back Ezekiel Elliott, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, tackle La’el Collins, tight end Blake Jarwin and linebacker Jaylon Smith to long-term extensions.

It has not been enough to get the Cowboys over the top.

The Cowboys have one playoff win since 2016 and finished 6-10 in 2020 when their defense yielded the most points in franchise history and Prescott missed missed the last 11 games with fractured ankle.

So in terms of the narrative that they will use the money they could potentially save by not caving into Prescott’s demands on building the team around him, the proof has not been in the pudding.

And if they didn’t do all they could do to build the team around Prescott when he was the best bargain in sports what gives you any hope they will use the money for significant outside reinforcements now.

Why would Prescott believe that’s going to be case?

And that goes double for the incredulous idea of letting Prescott walk in free agency and then using the money for a cheaper quarterback via the draft and other players.

They have been down that road already, which the NFLPA so aptly pointed out.