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2020-2021 Offseason: So Many Voices But Only So
Many Choices
March 12,
2021 At 10:27 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
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News of the most important (re)hire since
new Dallas Cowboys
defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is still just settling in.
“Cowboys Nation” was finally, FINALLY rewarded for at least two
years of inspired social media hysterics mixed with fantasy
forecasts by so, soooo many armchair sports clerics.
Quarterback Dak Prescott and “America’s Team” had until 4:00 PM EST
on Tuesday, 03-09-2021 to commit to a long-term deal. Failure to do
so was practically guaranteed to trigger an expensive (exclusive or
transitional) franchise tag feel. Any bad blood – from “business not
personal” negotiating tactics (like lying or leaking to the press) –
could have created an unrecoverable mess from which neither party
could sufficiently heal. And as a result, the “most unholy” of
decisions would have garnered the least amount of fan appeal.
“Well, WHAT was this INCREDIBLE reward for the brutally-abused (?)
patience of Cowboys Nation and those around the sports world who get
paid for ‘professional’ prognostication?!” you eagerly inquire
(ready to faint and awaiting the sweet sounds of a truly angelic
choir). Hold your horses! While you have waited THIS long, you
clearly have not developed a proper appreciation for the steps,
stumbles, and borderline bumbles that could have resulted in one of
the biggest modern-day NFL-landscape-altering divorces.
Whataboutism
“What
about Dak taking less like the one, the ONLY (seven-time Super Bowl
winner), Mr. Tom Brady?!” say many fans, some
prognosticators, and even a few former players would insist he could
withstand (as if – somehow – it was THEIR money at hand). It takes a
man without fear in his early, surprisingly-successful career – or
later on in the process of trying to establish while enduring loss
after loss so outlandish – to CHOOSE less dough in order to help
accelerate his team towards where they aim to go.
While Brady began his career in 2000, it was not until 2009 that his
marriage to supermodel Gisele Bündchen granted him a largely-unused
life raft away from his CHOSEN “lower-budget” island. Brady suffered
his well-documented, season-ending ACL tear in 2008 (after twice –
in 2002 and 2005 – CHOOSING not to see his salary horribly inflate).
The ever-present specter of a season-or-career-ender makes a player
think long and hard about giving their team a helpful discount or
stamping a deficient offer with “RETURN TO SENDER.”
“What about the (always?) superior endorsement deals (in number AND
quality?) historically bestowed upon a Dallas Cowboys quarterback?”
says everyone dying to see Dak’s contract done (from fan to hater
insisting Prescott could easily have any dollar deficiencies filled
through myriad local, national, and global product sponsorships far
sooner than later). While Dak is one charismatic cat during press
conferences and a natural in one-on-one interviews, have you seen
one of his “Chunky Soup” or “Oikos” or “Tostitos” TV spots? Prescott
(when so scripted) is as wooden as a tree with highly-visible knots,
and that should not be news. Potential acting coaches aside,
endorsements without an organic pitch man can (somewhat?) shorten
the money-making ride.
“What about Dak taking less when the (greater than and now-bloated?)
fair market value contracts of DeMarcus Lawrence and Ezekiel Elliott
were allowed to help create the Cowboys’ alleged cap-strapped mess?”
almost as many fans – as well as some current and former players –
would go onto stress.
“W-WHAT ABOUT how former fourth-round pick Dak Prescott outlasted
BOTH the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff AND the Philadelphia Eagles’
Carson Wentz, the first and second overall selections, of course, in
the 2016 NFL draft?!” you yell (perhaps imploring the
still-unconvinced not to be daft or impulsively attempt to short
sell).
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Though you may want to scream from the rooftop of the NFL league
office “THERE WILL BE BLOOD!” for such ultra-celebrated drafting
duds, neither the Los Angeles Rams nor the Philadelphia Eagles will
ever publicly convey their true level of embarrassment and
frustration over so soon
having to give up on such “holier than thou” players over which
everyone – at one time or another – did swoon. Cowboys’ fans can
continue to furiously wave Prescott’s flag ever-so-high and blurt
“THAT fourth-round pick is my guy! MY GUY!” but the only way fans
will receive bow down satisfaction is IF-not-when Dak gets in on
that Super Bowl action. And – again – he may have to get there under
much (or too much?) of his own power, so do not play dumb and do
not get sour. While it takes 10 other players to make an offense
tick, no quarterback is ever guaranteed sufficient, consistent help
from his defense or special teams to make victory click (no matter
how much that fact continues to make Cowboys Nation absolutely
sick).
The only benefit Prescott has currently received as a result of
Goff’s and Wentz’s near-equal ability to trigger a trade (after
being so handsomely-paid) due to their (temporary?) demise was to
doubly ensure his next contract was going to be larger in size.
Beyond that – and another Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl appearance so
phat – any Goff-Wentz-Prescott whataboutism will continue to be met
with easily-correctable cynicism.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
After ending 2019's offseason with no long-term extension – and a
failed, last-minute effort to produce what would have been a timely,
less-costly ($33-35M average per year and $110M guaranteed)
invention, would the latest opportunity be the last chance for a
certain team owner, a certain star player, and a certain bullish
agent to fruitfully finish their now-years-long contract negotiation
dance?
Would that player’s absence from a certain offseason hype video
infuriate that player to no end? Would an “innocent mistake” (viewed
as a seeming slight by that “jocks and socks” team owner) trigger a
completely-out-of-character social media outburst from that player
suggesting that negotiations were too far around the bend (like so
many irate fans who ballistically believed they had a finger on the
pulse of the plans)?
Would the buckled-down, dug-in, long-game guidance of that player’s
agent somehow prove horribly unwise with millions upon millions to
jeopardize?
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Would the Cowboys – GASP – consider allowing Prescott to walk,
because (with offers upon offers that would potentially drain their
coffers) he might continue to balk? And after ushering Dak out the
door, would Dallas then attempt to use their 2021 first round pick
(and / or trade up for significantly more) to turn the franchise
quarterback trick? Would they then use the salary cap savings from
not re-signing Dak to finally, mercifully, massively improve the
Cowboys’ defensive attack?
Would the sensational salesman that is GM Jerry then entertainingly
try to convince “Cowboys Nation” there is very little difference
between (A) a green-yet-promising rookie QB armed with potent
offensive weapons and paired with a suddenly-formidable defensive
unit . . . and (B) the Super Bowl-winning 2000 Baltimore Ravens but
WITHOUT the self-destructive Trent Dilfer to dampen it?
Would the surprisingly (but not eternally) patient Cowboys instead
consider trading for either the Seattle Seahawks’ Russell “My Brand
Is My Bond” Wilson or the Houston Texans’ Deshaun “They Broke Their
Bond” Watson if they suddenly grew tired of their 2-year game of
contract chicken? Would an attempt to sign-and-trade Prescott make
the plot thicken?
Would Dak Prescott ever, EVER make the mistake of agreeing to sign
his second consecutive franchise tag in the absence of a no-trade
clause and the critical ability to put a bad-for-HIM trade on pause?
If – as GM Jerry has repeatedly said – “Dak has all the leverage,”
why would Prescott do something to encourage the Cowboys’ owner to
HAPPILY grab a glass of his favorite adult beverage?
“WHAT is with all YOUR questions?! Oh, right, RIGHT! Not lookin’ for
a fight! You are just running down the amusing list of supporter
speculations and prognosticator projections. Now, how’s about that
most GRAND of rewards you were leading us towards?” you calmly
request (hoping for the Lotto-winning best).
Moment Of Atonement
After most-but-not-all Cowboys fans nearly screamed themselves
hoarse for him to stay the fair market value course, pleading for GM
Jerry to
“PAY THE
MAN!” . . . the Cowboys’ owner found his moment of atonement
and chose to finally follow through on that plan.
Dak Prescott signed a 6-year deal worth a maximum of $164M, with
$95M of that sum guaranteed at signing, and with the final two years
being voidable. The combination of collecting $75M of that total in
2021 and $126M of that total in the first three seasons, while also
earning a yearly average of $42M finally, miraculously proved
irresistible. Instead of a $37.7M in franchise tag fun, Prescott
will “only” count approximately $22M in 2021.
For all the talk that agent Todd France was risking “Prescott’s
Millions” by encouraging yet another one of his clients (in
consecutive years) to show some franchise tag onions, the Dallas
Cowboys arguably suffered only minor bunions in maintaining their
“damn sure not re-setting the market” theme as they try, Try, TRY
AGAIN to strengthen other areas-in-need of America’s Team.
Leading up to the consummation of Dak’s deal was some significant
contract restructuring to avoid serious salary cap puncturing.
Before the NFL league office officially announced the 2021 salary
cap being set at $182.5M per team, GM Jerry and son Stephen had been
proactive on their 2021 budgetary scheme.
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Following the 2019 season, Dallas restructured the contracts of
offensive tackles Tyron Smith and Zack Martin and achieved the same
with defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence in September 2020 to free up
substantial money (to help ensure – but not guarantee – the end
result of negotiations with Dak ended up sunny). Through that
collective action, the Dallas Cowboys had amassed $29.5M in cap
space that was rolled over for use during this offseason to help
Prescott's and the team's goal of a long-term commitment finally
gain traction.
The Cowboys tripled down on that approach in the past month by –
once again – restructuring Tyron Smith and La’el Collins but also
adding their offensive guard and “o-line Swiss army knife” Zack
Martin to the mix to ensure sufficient funds were at-the-ready to
also get their free agency and draft weekend fix. Somewhat
surprisingly was the always risky absence of (additional) voidable
years within those contract conversions to satiate any, ANY team’s
accelerated dead money aversions.
It is also the faint understanding of “The Tortured Cowboys Fan”
that such restructuring triggers also exist within the contracts of
running back Ezekiel Elliott, linebacker Jaylon Smith, and wide
receiver Amari Cooper (allowing Dallas the timely opportunity to
transform still more base salaries into spreadable signing bonuses
in exchange for the ability to momentarily sidestep another
available-cash-for-timely-talent-stupor).
Replace The Man While You Can?
There was (and still is) a contingent of Cowboys Nation insisting
and eventually pleading with anyone who would listen that Dallas
could not both re-sign Prescott AND succeed with a long-overdue
defensive personnel restocking mission. Those fans were practically
screaming like the evil CEO of an off-world mining corporation
afraid of sudden business evaporation. “REPLACE THE MAN! Cut that
overpriced bait, evade that lopsided salary cap weight, add a reborn
defense to Dallas’ game day plate, and tempt fate!”
Vilos Cohaagen: “Don't touch that [new contract]! Get away!
GET BACK!”
Douglas Quaid: “What are you afraid of? [Offer the
appropropriate fair market value deal to Dak].”
Vilos Cohaagen: “IMPOSSIBLE! Once [Dak's new contract is
signed], it'll spread to ALL the [remaining salary cap space in 2021
and beyond]. [America's Team] will go into global meltdown. That's
why [GM Jerry has stalled this long]!”
Douglas Quaid: “And you expect ME to believe you?”
Vilos Cohaagen: “Who gives a SH-T what YOU believe?! [By July
15th, 2021, GM Jerry will have avoided another chance to extend
Prescott], and [he'll] blow this [opportunity] up and be home in time for
Corn Flakes.”
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Even Cohaagen would understand "Salary Cap Hell" is – or can be – a
myth “if, If, IF” the player involved can perform well enough AND
remain healthy enough to fulfill (the guaranteed money component of)
their contract width. Full stop, no confused brains to pop. If a
big-ticket player is forced to depart his team earlier than was
planned for his career, the remaining portion of guaranteed money is
(sometimes painfully) accelerated into the current year, thus,
bringing to life every naysayer’s financial fear. Otherwise, unless
and until that player is required to prematurely depart, managing
salary cap hell remains an enjoyable art.
“And, AND” even Cohaagen – unlike a narrow (?) section of Cowboys
fans so maligned – would manage to “recall” how you cannot cut or
trade a player whom you have not even re-signed.
Some of those (understandably) frustrated-yet-foolish fans were
(some of) the very same people who were defending Dak in 2017 and
2019 from those who were insisting Prescott had quickly reached his
ceiling. They were screaming “Red Rover, Red Rover, we CANNOT start
over! Oh, no, No, NO! H-He WILL get better! He, um, he will be a
record setter! Remember how HORRIFYING it was before AND without
Romo but before Prescott?! Not at all appealing!”
The Dallas Cowboys have been quite good at procuring promising draft
day talent during the majority of Will McClay’s tenure as the
“untitled team lead” in talent targeting. GM Jerry and son Stephen,
however, tried HARD to procure quarterbacks Paxton Lynch and Connor
Cook before claiming “to have planned on drafting Prescott all
along” during their 2016 draft planning . . . and that is something
only “10-Second Tom” will soon be forgetting.
“When I got up this morning, I second-guessed the hell out of myself
for not giving the [third-round pick]. I have always paid a premium
for a premium. So many times, my bargains have let me down. I’m not
gonna’ go jump from Dallas’s tallest [building], so let’s put this
in perspective. But if I had to do it all over again? I’d give the
three.” – GM Jerry to then-Sports Illustrated writer Peter King
(admitting to a particularly-painful post-draft sting and having not
the faintest idea that – years later – his failure to nab two
eventual washouts would prove to be the very best thing).
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Suffice to say, Dak Prescott – until the signing of his latest
contract – was the embodiment of “some” Cowboys fans being unable to
have their cake and eat it, too. And for those fans who happily
approved of his re-signing, a similar conundrum rings true.
Statistically But Not (Yet) Situationally?
Now that Dak has accepted most of the contract features he allegedly
wanted while GM Jerry and son Stephen were forced, err, chose to
concede more of those contract features following their
non-market-setting stance so vaunted, will the Cowboys’ future be
brighter or (going on 26 years?) remain historically haunted?
Perhaps in fantasy football, err, fantasyland all the glee over
Dak’s new deal and pending, potent performances align as smoothly as
had been imaginatively-planned. Reality – however – suggests that
conquering the non-COVID-19 issues that were exposed in the 2020
Dallas Cowboys (like shining a black light in a seedy hotel room?)
remains a relative uncertainty.
“Wait? What?! WHAT NOW?! Is “The Tortured Cowboys Fan” going to
introduce yet ANOTHER flavor of his Captain Killjoy behavior?” you
ask (thoroughly unimpressed, seeking redress, and – as always –
aiming to take “You Know Who” to task).
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Put down your “DC4L” version of Negan’s bat and calmly listen to the
following facts which will decidedly not make your head go splat.
Dak more-than-exceeded expectations and fulfilled his four-year
rookie deal, bet on himself TWICE, and he was certainly prepared to
do so thrice. Prescott EARNED the right to pursue the biggest fair
market value pact he and his agent could possibly enact, “but, But,
BUT” fair market value – for all but a comparatively-rare few – has
never equaled real (sports) world value. Tantrums and insistence to
the contrary will only (continue to) collect mildew. A team’s most
impactful player, often-and-increasingly with the biggest bottom
line – within a TEAM sport – quickly becomes or IS a team’s first
AND last resort (when – in other areas – that team comes up
traumatically short).
Dak was 1-3 in games he finished (with an offensive line AND defense
already diminished, as well as his starting tight end lost in week
one when his ACL was extinguished). Before 2020 was also prematurely
ended for Prescott with an injury so dim, he was putting on such an
offensive clinic that he could be side-eyed by, ahem, only the most
difficult, err, discerning cynic. Prescott threw for nine additional
touchdowns on 1,856 passing yards for a 370-yard average, and he ran
for three more touchdowns and almost 100 yards on 18 carries for an
over-5-yard average. It was the TIMING, however, of Prescott’s
potent stats and his seven turnovers (four interceptions and three
fumbles) that ended up being so savage.
“Averages” – per game, per year, and per often “blanket statement”
career – (unintentionally?) hide the undeniable HOW and WHEN (and
against WHO) warts of competitive sports. While Prescott seemed well
on his way to going so far above and so far beyond, neither that
powerful performance nor his new deal has transformed him into the
Cowboys’ magic wand.
“But football is a TEAM game, as you said! A broken offensive line
and a dreadful defense are things for which Dak simply cannot be
bled!” you scream so correctly (while perhaps innocently or
conveniently overlooking his or ANY quarterback’s own OPPORTUNITY).
When a reasonable offensive play call is made, no matter during
which quarter of the game, immaterial to which opponent is being
played, and when pass protection is stout (with or without a healthy
o-line holding court and with or without running back / tight end
support), and when each receiver has properly run his pattern, it
remains up to one Rayne Dakota Prescott to survey his expected
passing lanes and targets (from hot route to trails gone coldest),
and make accurate, on-time passes (from simplest to boldest).
Nothing thrown behind to an sufficiently-open-and-moving target in
kind. Nothing out of the ordinary or particularly scary.
Just like "That Announcer Guy" before him (even when two-thirds of the
TEAM seemed to have unintentionally and “unfairly” conspired to make
his chances of succeeding unnecessarily slim). The big contract
engorges everyone’s executional expectations, but it does not
alleviate the “unfairness” of imperfect situations. It is not enough
to be great statistically if you are merely average SITUATIONALLY
(both during games so ho-hum and consequential contests where you
gotta’ have ‘em). When you appear situationally unaware, it is
simply too much for prognosticators, fans, or ANY armchair
know-it-all to bear.
As Norv Turner’s, err, Ernie Zampeze’s, err, Jason Garrett’s, err,
Scott Linehan’s, err, Kellen Moore’s system continues to be
uncreatively reach-your-spot, HUSTLE-centric – rather than (much)
more heavily invested in cleverly (but not too cutely), routinely,
and reliably “scheming players open” – the play calls may never be
ideal without player-produced energy to generate more appeal. If you
prescribe to the gone-but-not-forgotten “Camp Cupcake” way of doing
things, then the performance of “grown men,” err, players should be
left to their own motivations (to prematurely induce – or avoid like
the plague – season-ending vacations). While Barry Switzer and Wade
Phillips are no longer around to bury in-your-face-coaching six feet
under the ground, Mike “Reinvented” McCarthy – yes, “after one
inaugural, not-all-his-fault season so miserable” – still, STILL has
yet to prove he is truly command-worthy.
If the head coach and his staff cannot or – GASP – inexplicably will
not herd many a roster cat, the ALWAYS uniquely-positioned
quarterback will be forced to get his teammates’ attention to fend
off a performance so familiarly-flat. Dak Prescott – the
“unquestioned leader” of America’s Team – is the sole, on-field
authority responsible for snapping navel-gazing teammates out of
their game day dream. THIS will continue to be the case (within GM
Jerry’s cozy, coddling, “I’m your buddy” space) until any, ANY other
players suddenly assert themselves and convey more than just
brand-friendly steam.
Until the Cowboys’ Quinn-powered defense displays improvement – and
eventually becomes a routine Cowboys enhancement – successful
offensive production will remain absolutely critical in the FIRST
quarter, making it imperative the Cowboys’ offense (for the first
time since 2016) finally, consistently overcomes their often
devastatingly-slow starts to get their early game [focus] in order.
Whether the opponent has the 32nd-ranked defense or has the hawkish
hellions to deliver top-5 to dominatingly deprive, if the Cowboys’
offense fails to function and succeed against either of them just
the same, the Cowboys’ TEAM (obviously) will not thrive. While the
Cowboys’ 2021 defense may, MAY, indeed, eventually demonstrate
refreshing reasons not to be the easy target of so much fan hate,
there is no guarantee they will (like the 1985 Chicago Bears or the
2000 Baltimore Ravens) also be a turnover-generating, SCORING unit.
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While it is, indeed, “completely, Totally UNFAIR” that Prescott must
continue to be personally prepared to dig deeper and “JUST DO IT,”
there is no identifiable timetable in which he will be able to
confidently assume the rest of the Dallas Cowboys – from a
not-so-special teams to a darned defense that generously relents –
can reliably help him and his offense pull through it.
The Tortured Cowboys Fan continues to insist from before 2020 (and
not at all to be funny) that
Dak
Prescott must embrace the “Impossible Task” to – more often
than not – keep Dallas’ fortunes more on the money (and help more of
Cowboys Nation put down the flask). While no one realistically
expects a buttoned-up Dak to go – like That Announcer Guy – from an
occasionally-impulsive weenie to ROUTINELY Houdini, with
unicorn-like adlibs that create good execution out of a bad play
call (or extend a struggling execution before it hits a wall),
further expanding his game, just the same, should not be an order
too tall.
After spending half a decade being told when to turn play-call limes
into lemonade, Prescott DOES have the proactive power to avoid
making himself into a(n unnecessary) victim (by steadily CHOOSING to
overcome the historical limitations of the Cowboys’ hand-me-down
offensive system).
Will They Or Won't They?
While the Dallas Cowboys have already been carefully crafting for
whom they may very well be drafting, the (often but not always)
glorious event that is the (2021) NFL Draft, that can finally share
speculative space with oncoming free agency in Cowboys Nation’s
view. What to do? WHAT to DO?
The 2021 NFL salary cap is set at $182.5M (down $15.7M from last
year’s $198.2M) and – depending on your perspective (from COVID-19
to the NFL league office to each of 32 teams to prognosticators to
fans) – something or someone will be viewed as the villain
if-and-when highly-anticipated free agency signings do not follow
FANtasy plans.
While a salary cap closer to $210M was long-expected, the pandemic
(so-infected) and the significant loss of revenue forced a number of
teams to clean (bloated-contract) house with no time to grouse. The
free agent market was flooded with players who will rapidly become
another team’s target.
Will some organizations be a bit hesitant to nab highly-talented,
highly-expensive free agents who may be highly-unfamiliar with their
schemes? Will other teams flip-off fate – with the potential for
ANOTHER Zoom-based training camp (following another wave of COVID
cramp) – and unabashedly take the big-name bait?
Will some skilled players – who were not exactly expecting their
sudden autonomy – pursue maximum money from bad teams with outlooks
far less than sunny? Will still other skilled players turn down
better short-term green in favor of bet-on-yourself, one-year deals
with teams that have a contending shot at the playoff scene (and
head into 2022 with an even bigger salary cap and even greater
payoff to glean)?
Will a free agency period in which too little exists for too many
make both teams and players absolutely zany? Will certain
bargain-hunting teams, ahem, still, STILL try to split hairs during
this game of musical chairs?
We shall see. We always do.
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