One thing that gets lost in talking about the outstanding Cowboys contracts is the fact that we're not really players in veteran free agency. If we're able to sign and develop our own and don't have to pay the actual free market rate for our core players--because that's where the real premiums are paid out--we should be able to pay our own tier 2 players competitively. We'll lose a few guys like La'el Collins or Hitchens, and we'll be able to replace those guys with draft picks at the top of the draft as there won't really be that many holes in the roster in any given season. That's worked ok so far with the OL contracts we've done. We just need to hold our water.
We do need to sign one of Dak or Cooper before the deadline, though. I don't want to go into next year with only one tag and both of those guys hanging out. Which is why Amari is happy to sit tight right now. He has a big year, Dak gets the tag, and he's a free agent and will make a killing. If we get Dak done, and if Julio Jones extends, then Cooper's agents should finally be willing to talk. Before that happens, though, they have no incentive to deal. Dak's representation, too, understands that they have leverage there, too, since the team needs to get either Dak or Cooper done to have the tag to use on the other next year. The team should have to pay Dak to get that leverage over Cooper, and I'm sure they don't really want to pay a premium for that.
