Adam Schefter: "There's not a player in football with more leverage right now than Dak Prescott."

[GINeric]

Ok, so lets be fair on the GB game......he wasnt the only aspect, however, when you factor in contract and positional influence on the game, he probably comes out very high on the list.

I have no problem with that. All I'm saying is let's hold every NFL quarterback to the same standards. There are quarterbacks who have gotten paid more than Dak that has ZERO playoff wins and they get and have gotten excuses as to why they aren't leading their teams to higher success.

Nope!!! If one quarterback is held accountable by certain standards, then they ALL are held accountable by the same standards.

Mahomes is an alien, so he doesn't fit into human quarterback rules and standards.

 

[GINeric]

'GINeric' - I would like to know why you, and others CZers - consider "4th Quarter Comebacks" a legitimate statistic for quarterbacks - but not the won\loss record?
The mantra: "the won\loss record is a TEAM stat."
Shouldn't the "come-from-behind deficit to get a win" be a TEAM stat also?

No matter how many points an NFL team is behind going into to 4th quarter - it takes all three phases of the squad to rescue victory from the jaws of defeat.
A team can get it done without the offense, i.e. quarterback - adding nothing to the effort. Examples:

Team B behind by 6 points- the defense keeps Team A from scoring at all in the last quarter.
-Team B defense forces a punt, then special teams returns it for a TD+ PAT for the victory. .
- Team B is behind by 2 points, but defense forces a turnover with seconds to go deep in Team A's territory...Team A special team comes on the field to kick the games winning FG.
And those two comeback wins should be attributed to the QB?

This is an EXCELLENT post and I fully agree!!! The problem is... the same energy is not kept when speaking about team losses and playoff losses.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

That's the same expression I have when every loss is blamed on one player in a team game by people who need to read "Football for Dummies".

Ah...a good old fashioned disguised insult. I use it for the same reason too.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

As you should!! So do I. The problem is, there is more than one player who has underperformed in our big games.... but if you've never watched the Cowboys play and just came to this board for post game analysis, you'd think the ONLY reason for our losses is due to just one person underperforming.

This isn't boxing, tennis or golf.

And anytime anyone speaks of this said player you have to go through everyone else's faults FIRST. All of them. All the other teams and every other QB too.

 

[GINeric]

Ah...a good old fashioned disguised insult. I use it for the same reason too.

I'm glad that we both agree that it's dumb to blame one person for the shortcomings of a TEAM. We all know Dak has fell short but we also know that he wasn't the only one.

I'm glad we can agree on something my friend!!

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

I'm glad that we both agree that it's dumb to blame one person for the shortcomings of a TEAM. We all know Dak has fell short but we also know that he wasn't the only one.

I'm glad we can agree on something my friend!!

But of course...everyone should agree on that.

I just don't understand why ya demand we run through everyone else's faults FIRST before discussing Daks.

 

[GINeric]

But of course...everyone should agree on that.

I just don't understand why ya demand we run through everyone else's faults FIRST before discussing Daks.

I don't have a problem with people running through Dak's faults. He deserves some of the fire that comes his way. But there are tons of threads putting blame on him solely.

Where are the threads about the other short-comers? Why aret there multiple threads on the running backs, the defensive linemen, etc??? They all failed too many times.

 

[Chasing6]

Ok, so lets be fair on the GB game......he wasnt the only aspect, however, when you factor in contract and positional influence on the game, he probably comes out very high on the list.

QB's get paid more period. Comparing a QB contract to another position is nonsensical.

 

[Chasing6]

And if he looks like the same QB he was with the Niners, and the Boys have a .500 or better record this year, Dak just gained another $10 million a year on his asking price because the Jones Boys will be desperate with no backup or high first rounder.

If I was Dak’s agent, I would remind him how many rookies and second year linemen will be protecting him this year, and look at that RB bench. That’s great and all that he believes in himself, but you can’t get paid as much if you get hurt. Unless your name is Michael Gallup or Terrance Steele. Who am I kidding? This will go down to the wire, the Cowboys will overpay, and life goes on under the Jones Administration.

Pretty sure Cousins just got paid.

 

[KingCorcoran]

If Trey Lance can have a "high performance" preseason, Dak's leverage will be gone. All Dak can do to regain that leverage is win a Lombardi trophy.

Then Trey Lance will have leverage. Do you think if Lance impresses enough to win the starting quarterback job over Dak his agent is going to encourage him to sign for less than Dak will be signing for elsewhere? Lance will also be a free agent. He has a powerful agency working on his behalf. Dak will be fine. So what if he signs elsewhere. Trey Lance wrests the starting job away from Dak this season he’ll be expecting $50 million AAV.

 

[Chasing6]

Then Trey Lance will have leverage. Do you think if Lance impresses enough to win the starting quarterback job over Dak his agent is going to encourage him to sign for less than Dak will be signing for elsewhere? Lance will also be a free agent. He has a powerful agency working on his behalf. Dak will be fine. So what if he signs elsewhere. Trey Lance wrests the starting job away from Dak this season he’ll be expecting $50 million AAV.

Same with Rush with no QB's under contract.

 

[CowboyoWales]

As you should!! So do I. The problem is, there is more than one player who has underperformed in our big games.... but if you've never watched the Cowboys play and just came to this board for post game analysis, you'd think the ONLY reason for our losses is due to just one person underperforming.

This isn't boxing, tennis or golf.

He:
1) Plays the most critical position on the field and gets paid most money.....with that comes responsibility in itself
2) The 3 recent Play-Off defeats ALL contain similar weaknesses in His particular make-up (regardless of the other issues in the team)
3) The two SF games....REGARDLESS OF THE MULTIPLE ISSUES: Penalties, O-Line, Run D......he still had the ball 4 times to win/tie both games. Can blame contributory factors, but he's the common element to not scoring.
4) GB game - 7-0 down and the run game was OK. We ran 32 yards in next two drives compared to 0-3-Int in passing game .Now it's fair to sat that from that point the Defense imploded, but Dak IS FRONT AND CENTRE as to why we were at 14-0 (Defense to a lesser degree and Not the Run game at all).
5) It could be argued that Dak's nerve/COMPOSURE went and he started pushing throws and taking risks (WHICH ISNT HIS GAME).
6) The difference in Comfort Zone Dak and the Dak under pressure was highlighted in the GB GAME....his Rating was a decent enough 88, but he accrued the positive when the game was lost and the therefore the pressure to succeed was gone.
7) He needs the Comfort Zone of a lead (or 3pts or less deficit).....even an Elite Defense wont give him that guarantee.
8) He needs a run game.....but as in the GB Game identified, how crucial is that if he panics and goes to the risky pass mode......probably because he's conscious of his recent struggles in play-off comebacks.
9) Certainly blame aspects of the team, but none of that deflects from Dak's personal issues and inability to overcome these hurdles.....when he and position is paid to do so.

Do any of those issues get resolved by paying Dak a higher CAP% over a short term contract? the answers NO, we die slowly as we cant afford the team to give Dak his ideal Comfort Zone.

There are possibly options:
a) @America's Cowboy 's continued call for Dak to take a Team Friendly and go ALL-IN.
b) Accept a longer (career ending contract) which will allow extreme restructuring.....giving a number of years under an ALL-IN and then suffer
c) If Dak wants Market Setting or something that pays him (inc that $40m existing Dead Money) close to $60m per on a 3/4 year basis we need to draw a line and accept that we need to re-build....... around a lesser QB, but a strong Defense and improved weapons to ease in a lesser QB (ALA Dak 2016).

The problem is you cant see the options or Issues......all you appear to see is to deflect blame, of our failings away from Dak, to make an argument to keep him.

 

[CowboyoWales]

Then Trey Lance will have leverage. Do you think if Lance impresses enough to win the starting quarterback job over Dak his agent is going to encourage him to sign for less than Dak will be signing for elsewhere? Lance will also be a free agent. He has a powerful agency working on his behalf. Dak will be fine. So what if he signs elsewhere. Trey Lance wrests the starting job away from Dak this season he’ll be expecting $50 million AAV.

Dak will be fine because of the ineptitude of Jerry and his inability to let 'his' players go. Jerry is continually playing the HOPE Card, hope that Dak gives him a bone (money or length of contract). We can see this isnt happening, regardless of the 'not paying for money' comment, Jerry will extend, but that's one of the reasons why Jerry/Dak. Jerry giving in to 'his' guys and Dak playing him (which I put at his door due to the NTC and the no-FT in the last contract).

Dk/France game played this at the last contract, knowing how this would pan out.

 

[GINeric]

He:
1) Plays the most critical position on the field and gets paid most money.....with that comes responsibility in itself
2) The 3 recent Play-Off defeats ALL contain similar weaknesses in His particular make-up (regardless of the other issues in the team)
3) The two SF games....REGARDLESS OF THE MULTIPLE ISSUES: Penalties, O-Line, Run D......he still had the ball 4 times to win/tie both games. Can blame contributory factors, but he's the common element to not scoring.
4) GB game - 7-0 down and the run game was OK. We ran 32 yards in next two drives compared to 0-3-Int in passing game .Now it's fair to sat that from that point the Defense imploded, but Dak IS FRONT AND CENTRE as to why we were at 14-0 (Defense to a lesser degree and Not the Run game at all).
5) It could be argued that Dak's nerve/COMPOSURE went and he started pushing throws and taking risks (WHICH ISNT HIS GAME).
6) The difference in Comfort Zone Dak and the Dak under pressure was highlighted in the GB GAME....his Rating was a decent enough 88, but he accrued the positive when the game was lost and the therefore the pressure to succeed was gone.
7) He needs the Comfort Zone of a lead (or 3pts or less deficit).....even an Elite Defense wont give him that guarantee.
8) He needs a run game.....but as in the GB Game identified, how crucial is that if he panics and goes to the risky pass mode......probably because he's conscious of his recent struggles in play-off comebacks.
9) Certainly blame aspects of the team, but none of that deflects from Dak's personal issues and inability to overcome these hurdles.....when he and position is paid to do so.

Do any of those issues get resolved by paying Dak a higher CAP% over a short term contract? the answers NO, we die slowly as we cant afford the team to give Dak his ideal Comfort Zone.

There are possibly options:
a) @America's Cowboy 's continued call for Dak to take a Team Friendly and go ALL-IN.
b) Accept a longer (career ending contract) which will allow extreme restructuring.....giving a number of years under an ALL-IN and then suffer
c) If Dak wants Market Setting or something that pays him (inc that $40m existing Dead Money) close to $60m per on a 3/4 year basis we need to draw a line and accept that we need to re-build....... around a lesser QB, but a strong Defense and improved weapons to ease in a lesser QB (ALA Dak 2016).

The problem is you cant see the options or Issues......all you appear to see is to deflect blame, of our failings away from Dak, to make an argument to keep him.

Excellent, Excellent, respectable breakdown, I have a small disagreement on just two small parts.....

In number 2, you stated "regardless of other issues on the team". We can't ignore other issues on the team in a TEAM game my friend. An engine doesn't rely on just one part in order to function well.

In number 8 you stated "he needs a run game". Outside of Brady and Mahomes, name me the quarterbacks who have succeeded with a run game as weak as ours?? It's hard for good quarterbacks to excell when your offense is one dimensional.

When we faced the 49ers in those playoff games I believe they fielded the number one defense in the NFL.

Please do me a favor and tell me what other quarterbacks in playoff history have faced a number one defense in the playoffs, his team committed 15 penalties in one of those games and still won....

Lastly.... please name me any quarterbacks in history who have become All Pro and placed in the MVP conversations WITHOUT a functioning running game....

With that said, you've laid out some great facts that I can't argue against and again, I fully respect your take. Great post. Now let's make sure we hold ALL quarterbacks to the same standards because I've seen a couple quarterbacks without any playoff wins get paid more than Dak and they were furnished with all kinds of excuses as to why they didn't have playoff success.

 

[SultanOfSix]

QB's get paid more period. Comparing a QB contract to another position is nonsensical.

No. They don’t get paid more “period”. They get paid more because the offense goes through them 99% of the time, whether the ball is in their hands first, whether they’re reading the defense and making changes at the line, whether they’re passing the ball correctly, or tossing it or handing it off to the running back, etc.

It’s why QBs get more of the credit and more of the blame than any other position as well.

It’s why certain “Dak-Stans” blamed Romo for the team’s failures and “choke jobs” but now they repeatedly deflect from the same criticisms (warranted or not) onto the rest of the team.

Each position is obviously paid proportionately more to their ascribed importance and value to the team.

 

[CowboyoWales]

Excellent, Excellent, respectable breakdown, I have a small disagreement on just two small parts.....

In number 2, you stated "regardless of other issues on the team". We can't ignore other issues on the team in a TEAM game my friend. An engine doesn't rely on just one part in order to function well.

In number 8 you stated "he needs a run game". Outside of Brady and Mahomes, name me the quarterbacks who have succeeded with a run game as weak as ours?? It's hard for good quarterbacks to excell when your offense is one dimensional.

When we faced the 49ers in those playoff games I believe they fielded the number one defense in the NFL.

Please do me a favor and tell me what other quarterbacks in playoff history have faced a number one defense in the playoffs, his team committed 15 penalties in one of those games and still won....

Lastly.... please name me any quarterbacks in history who have become All Pro and placed in the MVP conversations WITHOUT a functioning running game....

With that said, you've laid out some great facts that I can't argue against and again, I fully respect your take. Great post. Now let's make sure we hold ALL quarterbacks to the same standards because I've seen a couple quarterbacks without any playoff wins get paid more than Dak and they were furnished with all kinds of excuses as to why they didn't have playoff success.

As I say I'm not totally opposed to extending Dak at all, but I see he needs to give something, don't expect the mega contract on his terms as there are issues in his game that somehow we (ideally Jerry's replacement as GM) can figure out.

PT 2 about 'Other issues' - He needs an elite Defense that keeps the score down and PT 8 yes a running game. But pretty much EVERY QB that's won a SB has had to come back from a deficit....there's no cakewalk. The problem is that struggle when behind, he's fine needing 3, but needing a TD....he struggles, it's as if teams know how to play him (ala the Jimmie Ward quote about taking his run game away and seeing if he can beat them).

PT8, my point on the run game in the GB loss was that the run game (including his scrsmble) was doing fine, our early drives ended because of the passing game....its as if ghost Moore still lives with him 'throw the ball Dak'.

Dak's issues appear in his head, whether some of that is self imposed as he thinks he needs to play up to his contracts I don't know be the clearest example of how he plays under pressure vrs no pressure can be seen in 1st v 2nd Half v GB.

Sure give him the bag, but he's got to give something and for me it's the career ending contract which will give Jerry pretty much a set number of years to go ALL-IN (as he'll restructure it into $100+ Dead Money by 2030).

 

[CowboyoWales]

Now let's make sure we hold ALL quarterbacks to the same standards because I've seen a couple quarterbacks without any playoff wins get paid more than Dak and they were furnished with all kinds of excuses as to why they didn't have playoff success.

I don't know who you're referring to,so I can't talk specifics. But in Dak's case, the sceptics mention the REPEATED poor playoff performances because those that support him turn a blind eye and the sceptics put a greater weighting to his performance in those ultimate performances.
Again the very difference between 1st half Dak v 2nd half Dak in January highlights the Jekyll and Hyde nature....where the differential is pressure.
QB's have lost, but in a few cases: Allan and Burrows come to mind in recent playoff history ...they have lost as the opponents (usually Mahomes) has the ball last. Even the lesser Stafford had two late comeback wins (one in the SB)..... failings happen, but Dak's gone 3 for 3 when trailing.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

I don't have a problem with people running through Dak's faults. He deserves some of the fire that comes his way. But there are tons of threads putting blame on him solely.

Where are the threads about the other short-comers? Why aret there multiple threads on the running backs, the defensive linemen, etc??? They all failed too many times.

You know qbs get the glory and the blame. You act like its just dak.

Marino never won a super bowl. Most people cant recall more than 2-3 other players from that team, if that.

If we accept it and ditch the crusade it'd be a better place.

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

When you’re dependent on someone offering you a contract to continue being employed by your employer then you have no leverage.

Dak could wake up tomorrow and say “Ya know, I want to be a Cowboy for life so bad that I’ll take the vet minimum”. Jerry could simply respond with “no” and that’s that.

The boss always has the leverage.

 

[Flamma]

When you’re dependent on someone offering you a contract to continue being employed by your employer then you have no leverage.

Dak could wake up tomorrow and say “Ya know, I want to be a Cowboy for life so bad that I’ll take the vet minimum”. Jerry could simply respond with “no” and that’s that.

The boss always has the leverage.

They're coming from the mindset that you need him. Like if you're dying of thirst walking out of a desert, you'll pay anything for that bottle of water. What does Dak have to worry about? If he don't get paid in Dallas, he'll get paid someplace else.

But if Jerry wanted to be a real jerk, he could let CD hold out all year. Then you'll see Dak look like absolute garbage. Now what leverage does he have? All it takes is one year looking like crap for no team to want to touch you. Ask Russel Wilson. No team is giving him a contract that big again.