On June 22, 2017 Derek Carr was signed a 5-year $125m contract extension

[G2]

I don't need an alternative to Dak right now. He's under contract for 2019. I can tag him for at least two more years before his tag number becomes really excessive.

I can let him play in 2019 and approach him with a contract if he plays well for half the season or wait until after the season. If he balks, I can tag him and try to work out a deal in 2020. If he shows in 2019 he's more the bus driver than the put the team on your back type QB, then I've saved myself a lot of cap headaches and I can start looking for another long term option.

The flip side to this.............. I go out and sign Dak now and hand him a contract that has a $35MM AAV (or whatever over $32MM contract people want to hand him)........ and he plays like an average QB. I am now staring at the possibility that I am eating up massive cap space for 3-4 years on a QB that isn't really all that good.

Sure, if you sign him for $32MM and he plays well you may have a "bargain" and you might have to pay him $37MM next year if you don't sign him now. But to me, that's just the smart play and paying the premium is worth insuring myself against the downside.

If you wait, you'll spend way more later. You don't tag your franchise QB. And if you don't sign him, you're not finding another as easy as you think. Start the rebuild all over again. Great idea.

 

[G2]

It's not his fault. And it is silly.

But nowhere is it written that the Cowboys have to participate in this silliness while they still have some options at their disposal in how they will pay Dak.

You just are basically reiterating the point I made above............ it's apparently OK to hand out what could be a bad contract because, hey, other teams have done it too!

The difference is you're not convinced Prescott will continue to improve and is a franchise QB. The staff is. If they don't make a long term deal happen, we start all over. That's dumb.

 

[Tussinman]

It's completely average. If there are, at least, 12 quarterbacks better than you, guess what? You are close to league average.

No league average is not even being an NFL caliber starter. Are you actually being serious ?

Just because a few teams below you might struggle to find any QB worth anything

We've had 2 real franchise QB's since arguably 1980 and your seriously trying to say "a few teams struggle to find any QB worth anything" ???

Yeah your either completely delusional or trolling. Franchise QB's are very rare and not "average". You would think you being a cowboys fan you would actually understand this.....

 

[Sydla]

If you wait, you'll spend way more later. You don't tag your franchise QB. And if you don't sign him, you're not finding another as easy as you think. Start the rebuild all over again. Great idea.

What's way more? So this year, I might have to pay him $32MM AAV, but next year I might have to pay him $37MM AAV? I can live with that if 2019 shows that Dak is truly progressing and trending towards upper echelon QB status.

Your last part is just silliness. If he turns out that he's not that great a QB anyway, what does having him signed even matter at that point? Of course finding a QB isn't easy but if Dak Prescott shows in 2019 that he's not really all that good a QB and more average than anything else, why in the hell would you want to be paying him to be your QB for the next 4-5 years at that point?

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

My issue with Dak is his arm talent. Both his arm strength and accuracy. When you couple that with his lack of anticipation, it feels as if his ceiling is not very high. He has a lot of intangibles...but his does not have elite physical talent. Now you can argue Drew Brees does not have great arm strength, but he anticipates well and is unbelievably accurate. So my question to you...what SHOULD we fans that are not huge Dak fans expect when it comes to arm strength, accuracy and anticipation. Because no matter what the dollar amount winds up being...if you are going to be a franchise QB...he needs to become very good to elite in one of those areas

 

[Sydla]

The difference is you're not convinced Prescott will continue to improve and is a franchise QB. The staff is. If they don't make a long term deal happen, we start all over. That's dumb.

The staff is.................. to a point. Most people assumed he'd be signed by now but he hasn't and they don't appear to be very close. When Wentz signed, that was supposed to set the market. And yet, the Cowboys and Dak are apparently far apart. Why?

Because my guess is the Cowboys are more closely aligned with my thinking that Dak has a value right now that isn't as high as these other QBs and they aren't just going to hand him a huge contract because, hey, in a few years it won't be all that big!

 

[Sydla]

No league average is not even being an NFL caliber starter. Are you actually being serious ?

We've had 2 real franchise QB's since arguably 1980 and your seriously trying to say "a few teams struggle to find any QB worth anything" ???

Yeah your either completely delusional or trolling. Franchise QB's are very rare and not "average". You would think you being a cowboys fan you would actually understand this.....

So you want to include backups and backups to backups in the analysis?

Starting QBs is all that matters. Dak is closer to the 15th best starter than he is to the Top 5. So yeah, he's closer to an average starting QB in this league right now than a great one.

The fact we've had two real franchise QBs since 1980 matters little other than the fact that we've stunk at picking QBs, I guess. But because of that, you don't get stupid and just hand over a massive contract to a QB that just happens to be better than the Quincy Carter's and Chad Hutchinson's of the world either.

 

[G2]

What's way more? So this year, I might have to pay him $32MM AAV, but next year I might have to pay him $37MM AAV? I can live with that if 2019 shows that Dak is truly progressing and trending towards upper echelon QB status.

Your last part is just silliness. If he turns out that he's not that great a QB anyway, what does having him signed even matter at that point? Of course finding a QB isn't easy but if Dak Prescott shows in 2019 that he's not really all that good a QB and more average than anything else, why in the hell would you want to be paying him to be your QB for the next 4-5 years at that point?

You said let him play then tag him for 2 more years. Which is it?

 

[DallasEast]

All I know is the numbers for these players are just getting ridiculous real quick. Imagine what Mahommes is going to get.

Look at it this way:

At least it is not NBA numbers lol.

 

[G2]

The staff is.................. to a point. Most people assumed he'd be signed by now but he hasn't and they don't appear to be very close. When Wentz signed, that was supposed to set the market. And yet, the Cowboys and Dak are apparently far apart. Why?

Because my guess is the Cowboys are more closely aligned with my thinking that Dak has a value right now that isn't as high as these other QBs and they aren't just going to hand him a huge contract because, hey, in a few years it won't be all that big!

You know the facts of the negotiations? Interesting. So how much are both sides offering?

 

[Offsides]

So Carr broke his leg in his MVP caliber season and then the Raiders became inept again then blew up the team and started over. I'd like to see how Dak would have done on Raiders the last 2 years. My guess it would not have been good. I think evidence of that surfaced 2 years ago. Even last year the Cowboys were meh except they made the playoffs because their division was so weak. I'd wait until the season ends before paying Dak. If the Cowboys have a bad year and are stuck with Dak on a bad long term deal that will not be good. Pay Zeke and Cooper and see if Dak can be a consistent winner before paying him like the Vikes did loser Cousins. IMO, he is not an elite QB or have the potential to be an elite QB.

Quite frankly, I think Chad Kelly could do as good if you could keep him off the alcohol. That guy is a dynamic QB who can really play the game. High Risk but low salary.

 

[Sydla]

You said let him play then tag him for 2 more years. Which is it?

Yes, I would make him play out 2019 and then tag him if I can't get a long term deal done during the 2019 season or 2020 offseason. But you seem to be saying you have to sign him now because he will be more expensive in 2020. How much more expensive?

 

[Tussinman]

Starting QBs is all that matters

Staring caliber QB's are 1. Not league average and 2. Dak is better than half of them.

The fact we've had two real franchise QBs since 1980 matters little other than the fact that we've stunk at picking QBs, I guess.

If you look at most teams they've only had 2 or 3 real franchise QB's during that span as well

That's what your NOT comprehending. Being a top half long term starter is rare and HARD. Your blowing it off as "eh he's just some average dude who could easily be replaced via draft or free agency".

No that's not the case, these type of players are RARE not AVERAGE.

You: "oh cowboys stunk at picking QB",

Reality: "oh these players are hard to find and almost always get paid"

 

[G2]

Yes, I would make him play out 2019 and then tag him if I can't get a long term deal done during the 2019 season or 2020 offseason. But you seem to be saying you have to sign him now because he will be more expensive in 2020. How much more expensive?

You don't HAVE to, but you will save money and you will pay more in 2 years. You can always take a hit and let him go, not as extreme as Romo I would hope.

 

[Swanny]

You have already been proven wrong on Dak. Guys like you just dont want to admit it.

Dak is 100% worth paying franchise money. And he is only in his 3rd year. But this conversation has been beaten to death. Some of you just dont get it. Just like some never got Romo.

Agree to disagree. The "some of you just don't get it " doesn't make sense. It's all opinions.

 

[Sydla]

Staring caliber QB's are 1. Not league average and 2. Dak is better than half of them.


If you look at most teams they've only had 2 or 3 real franchise QB's during that span as well

That's what your NOT comprehending. Being a top half long term starter is rare and HARD. Your blowing it off as "eh he's just some average dude who could easily be replaced via draft or free agency". Not that's not the case, these type of players are RARE not AVERAGE

You are arguing semantics at this point. How Dak compares to the 2nd string QB in Buffalo is meaningless.

Where does Dak fit in the pecking order of staring QBs? Right now, he's closer to 15th than 5th. So he's closer to being an average starting QB than a great one.

How are you struggling with this very basic concept?

 

[Jarv]

And I’d take Dak over at least 5 guys on that list right now, maybe 6 depending on which version of Matt Ryan shows up.

Name them.

 

[Big D]

Dak also had the better OL and running game.

So, your saying that Ryan is only as good as the team around him? That's the same argument as to why Dak sucks isn't it? He needs everything around him to be right before he can succeed right?

 

[Sydla]

You don't HAVE to, but you will save money and you will pay more in 2 years. You can always take a hit and let him go, not as extreme as Romo I would hope.

Yes, you probably save money signing him today rather than in April 2020. But to me, that's worth it to protect yourself from the downside, which is you give him a Wentz-esque contract now, he goes out and plays inconsistent in 2019.

 

[Sydla]

So, your saying that Ryan is only as good as the team around him? That's the same argument as to why Dak sucks isn't it? He needs everything around him to be right before he can succeed right?

No, I was trying to show that Dak wasn't dealing with slop while Ryan had all the advantages.