Who's getting paid next in Dallas?
Chris Simms and Tank Williams discuss who should get paid next in Dallas following Ezekiel Elliot's hefty contract.
Video Transcript
TANK WILLIAMS: All right, Christopher, here we go. Cowboys came out strong. Ezekiel Elliott is back-- $50 million in the bank. So now, who deserves to get paid with Dallas next? Number 3 on my list-- Jerry Jones. And now hear me out now.
Jerry Jones signed Lael Collins, Jaylon Smith, he got Tank Lawrence done early in the offseason. He got Ezekiel Elliott in for the first week of the season. And he has Amare and Dak playing in the game instead of sitting out. So he has his whole nucleus together as he's trying to make a run for a playoff and a Super Bowl title. Thoughts?
CHRIS SIMMS: No. Jerry Jones doesn't need any more money. I will give you this-- he deserves some credit for his eye for talent-- him, Stephen Jones, some of the players they've built on that football team-- a good business man, certainly.
But man, Tank, more money? Get him paid? He's got more money than he knows what to do with. He's got that oil money-- that black gold, that Texas tea. He doesn't need more cash. I know that.
TANK WILLIAMS: True. But when you're making smart business decisions, sometimes you got to go ahead and pad that pocket a little bit more.
CHRIS SIMMS: He deserves some credit, I give him that for sure for what he's built there in Dallas.
TANK WILLIAMS: All right, number 2-- Amari Cooper, obviously. Now, Amari is playing to get another contract. We already had big deals signed by Julio Jones. We've got Michael Thomas down there in New Orleans that signed a fat contract. Amari is just being patient, just trying to show the team what he can do.
But at the same time, he has a little bit of leverage, because Jerry gave up a lot to get Amari from the Oakland Raiders. And so I think he's right in that moment where if he ball's out along with Dak, he needs to go ahead and get paid immediately.
CHRIS SIMMS: Well, yeah. If it continues the way it looked in Week 1, the Cowboys, Jerry Jones better watch out, because he's going to be asking for $20 million a year like top of the receiver market type money.
TANK WILLIAMS: Now, you think Amari can ball like that this year?
CHRIS SIMMS: I think he can. Tank, I just got done watching that film of that Cowboys offense-- it's a new era in Dallas. I mean, they were shifting, motions, concepts and schemes that I've never seen before out of Dallas-- at least here in recent history. I was really impressed with what first year offensive coordinator Kellen Moore did. And Amari Cooper--
TANK WILLIAMS: That's who gets the credit. Moore or Garrett?
CHRIS SIMMS: Oh. I mean, Kellen Moore right now is the guy I give the credit to. He put his stamp on this offense, and it's as creative as I've seen Dallas in a long, long time.
TANK WILLIAMS: Number 1, though, is obviously Dak Prescott. But now there's one little question I have, though-- now Dak allegedly turned down $30 million. Now, we have Kirk Cousins sitting at $28. We have Jared Goff sitting at $33.5, and we have Russell Wilson at $35 mil. Now, we all know Dak needs to be paid, especially because we saw the progression.
He was going through his second, third reads, making throws on the dime-- I mean, just had that offense running like a machine. But what is he really worth if it's not $30 mil?
CHRIS SIMMS: Well, he's the leader of the team. He's tough as hell. He's always available, right-- never been injured. He's a good Samaritan on and off the field. Which, yeah, you deserve some credit for that-- and then he's a baller on the field. He proved that to me, you know, in the second half of last year's season.
When plays weren't there to be had, Dak Prescott made it happen by himself. I will say this-- he's worth more than Kirk Cousins. He's worth more than Jimmy Garoppolo. I know that. And if Carson Wentz is going to get $32.5 million per year in new money average, it's hard for-- if I'm Dak Prescott, I'm not taking a penny less than Carson Wentz.
I mean, Dak Prescott's been to the playoffs two of the first three years of his career. And unlike Carson Wentz, he's never hurt. So I think it's probably right around a little less, maybe, than that Russell Wilson money-- and another guy like Stephen Jones and Jerry better watch out for. Because if he continues to play the way he played in Week 1, uh oh. He might be asking for, like, $38 or $40 million-- to be the top paid quarterback in all of football.
TANK WILLIAMS: One little note that add on to that is just like real estate-- location, location, location. And Dak plays for the most valuable franchise in the league. Therefore, pay that man his money. Dak, go get it.
CHRIS SIMMS: Go get it.
