This is common sense.
It baffles me so few grasp it and fail to understand non-exclusive versus exclusive.
There is is literally ZERO BENEFIT for the Dallas Cowboys to tag non-exclusive.
It merely removes control levers they enjoy under exclusive.
It would be quite welcome to Todd France.
But realistically walk through the actual scenarios.
IF you tag non-exclusive only 1 thing has to happen. Dak has to agree to terms with another club. That's it. The structure, timing and means to meet the two R1 ask is up to the team doing the deal with Dak.
They do not HAVE to offer that deal under the Tag and can contact the Cowboys for a lesser trade package.
Dallas has no real control at that point over anything. Match a deal built so they can't/won't match or let him go.
They do not get to steer Dak out of the NFCE, they do not get to maintain exclusive tag rights, they do not get to judge the R1 picks requirement.
IF you tag exclusive you can just the same tell France to go find the best deal he can minus NFCE and you want two R1 picks from any team projected middle of the pack or more picks from a team that would be viewed at a SB contender.
The TEAM retains control for the year if THEY don't get the deal they want.
You still get the same requirement of Dak finding a team and you merely GAIN control over final say.
No team would give up that final say.
Dak is from Louisiana. Imagine him on that Saints team.
Or with WFT and that trench group.
Heck even with his old buddy Garrett in NY in that market.
Dallas does not want to lose Dak at all. They do not want to lose him especially to someone who might beat them 7 out of 8 times the next 4 years as Dak did to other NFCE teams.
They do not want to lose him to a SB contender where they could recoup a whopping two picks in the 30-32 range while they search for a QB and draft top 10 based upon their own picks.
That’s all possible. But you are completely ignoring the other side of the ledger.
If Dak wants $40M per year and the Cowboys have decided that’s too much to pay Dak, then tagging him with exclusive tag gets you : One year at $37ish and most likely a 3rd round pick from Dak’s departure the next season in free agency.
If the Cowboys tag Dak with non-exclusive tag, it is very plausible that the Cowboys could lose Dak’s services for THIS season, but save the $37M and get two first round picks as compensation.
You may think that is a horrible idea, but that’s merely opinion. I can see the benefits of both paths.
A third possibility would be that Dak has overplayed his hand and it might actually drive Dak’s price down. If Dak really WANTS to be a Cowboy, then it takes away the threat of leverage from Dak. Being the Dallas Cowboys QB carries endorsement possibilities that few other teams can compete with.
Thats just part of the other side of the coin.
