Delayed tag deadline may give Dallas Cowboys more time to negotiate with Dak Prescott

As far as the Dallas Cowboys are concerned, more time is always a good thing.

And that is potentially good news as relates to their contract negotiations with quarterback Dak Prescott.

According to sources, if the officially 2021 salary cap number is not finalized on Monday, the NFL is considering moving back the franchise tag deadline, which is currently set for 3 p.m. Tuesday.

A delay would give the Cowboys more time to negotiate with Prescott. The two sides are talking, but they have still have not made much progress in their negotiations.

It was seemingly inevitable that the Cowboys were going to have place the $37.7 million tag on Prescott.

Regarding the prospect of getting more time with the possible push back of the franchise tag deadline, a source said, “It never hurts.”

It would give the Cowboys more time to negotiate and more clarity toward the cap situation. As of now, the Cowboys have just $17.5 million in room under the proposed cap floor of $180 million.

The final cap number is expected to increase due to the addition of a 17th game in 2021 and expected finalization of new television deals that could be worth more than $100 billion to the NFL over the next decade.

According to ESPN, the NFL players’ union wants to see the finalized television deals before agreeing on the 2021 cap.

A larger cap gives the Cowboys more money to play with in determining Prescott’s new contract. And it would also create more room to handle the franchise tag if they can’t come to an agreement.

As of now, the Cowboys don’t have the space under the cap for the $37.7 million franchise tag and would need to restructure some deals or cut some players to make that salary fit.

If the Cowboys tag Prescott, they would continue to negotiate toward a long-term deal.

The situation was the same last season when the Cowboys placed the first tag on Prescott. The couldn’t come to terms on a deal by July 15 so he played the 2020 season on a tag of $31.4 million.

But a tag this time triggers a possible doomsday scenario of Prescott leaving via free agency after the 2021 season.

The Cowboys would have until July 15 to sign him to long-term deal, but Prescott has all the leverage in negotiations.

If he doesn’t get a deal to his liking — most likely around $40 million annually for no more than four years in length, as has been his preference — then he would simply play on the tag again in 2021.

A third tag, should it get to that, would be at a cost-prohibitive $54 million. At that point the Cowboys would likely be priced out, and it would allow for Prescott to test the open market in 2022.

It also brings into to play the possibility of the Cowboys covering themselves by considering drafting a quarterback with the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft on April 29.

As of now, they are thankful to have more time.