News: PFT: Should the Cowboys have let Dak Prescott hit the open market?

[RonnieT24]

Because if you don't have a quarterback you don't have anything.

Yeah the Titans proved this last year by fielding a team with a 2000 yard rusher.. a great offensive line and a pretty good defense.. but when a team loaded up to stop Henry and put the ball in Tannehill's hands the Titans found out what Dolphins fans already know. He aint that guy.. For all the talk about "With Zeke, the o-line and these receivers we don't need Dak" we need to look no further than the Titans as illustrative of what happens when you have all that other stuff on offense but a chump at QB. You need a TRANSCENDENT defense like the 2000 Ravens, the 2003 Bucs, the 2013 Seahawk or the 2015 Broncos to carry a chump at QB.. and the Cowboys are about 5 or 6 pro-bowl level players away from that kind of defense. Just having a "good" defense won't cut it if your QB can't tote the mail when called upon. Tannehill has 534 passing yards TOTAL, 5 TD and completes 62.8% of his passes in FOUR playoff games. He averages under 150 yards a game in the playoffs. In contrast to that Dak Prescott has 794 yards, 5TD and completes 64.1% of his passes in THREE playoff games. One guy has stepped up nicely in the playoffs.. One guy has not. You pay the guy who has stepped up.. You spend every offseason looking to replace the guy who hasn't.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

What is "near the top" though? I mean, he was not top 10, I don't believe. He was probably somewhere in the area of 12 to 15, depending. That's in the middle, to me, but if you see it different, that's fine. You only need one team to believe something different but again, this discussion is based on the premise that Dak found no takers, at the time. So that's not really a thing for this discussion, I don't believe.

survey of 50 front office personnel had him ranked top 10, I believe he was about 6th or 7th.....

 

[jnday]

Yes, completely. It is the absolute worst decision they could have made. The logic is "let's not let the agent set the price (which, he didn't anyway), let's let other teams set the price!"

The idea that they would have gotten Dak cheaper if he went to the open market is absolutely, completely wrong. Price would have gone up, probably significantly.

Do you think that other teams would have lined up with the intentions of overpaying Dak? From several posts that quoted GMs and other NFL people around the league, Dak is not as highly thought of around the league as he is with Dallas Fans. Rushing to pay the second highest contract in league history to a QB that is not even in the top five, is not a smart move in any other city than Dallas.

 

[Future]

Do you think that other teams would have lined up with the intentions of overpaying Dak? From several posts that quoted GMs and other NFL people around the league, Dak is not as highly thought of around the league as he is with Dallas Fans. Rushing to pay the second highest contract in league history to a QB that is not even in the top five, is not a smart move in any other city than Dallas.

Wrong with every sentence.

Dak's not overpaid, and certainly would have gotten more as a FA.

 

[JJHLH1]

Seeing what is going on with Deshaun Watson, I’m thankful that Dak is our QB.

We never have to worry about Dak embarrassing the franchise or being suspended due to off the field issues.

That’s worth a lot.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Right.. so you would be okay with Dak facing our mostly non-existent pass rush throwing against our perpetually lost secondary with the support of a top 5-10 defense. Again if you want the Ratscums to get that much better I have to question how much you like the Cowboys. If Dak signed with the Ratscums his cap numbers in the first couple of years would have been just as team friendly for them as they are for us therefore the AAV number is of little consequence. They paid Alex Smith 27? million last year so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they're cool with spending money at QB. And doing it while weakening the Cowboys would have been Daniel Snyder's best wet dream. Dak has won more division titles than the rest of the QBs left in the division combined.

He has the highest career passer rating, the highest career QBR and the best career won/loss percentage.. But we want him to play for one of most hated rivals..

Check..

I think I just said that right? I am not afraid of Dak. In fact, give me 40 million to spare and the picks that would have been had by allowing Dak to leave for another team and I'll get Defensive players and a replacement QB and lets see what happens. I'm not afraid of Dak, especially on a team that is paying him 40 AAV and all the rest.

You can question whatever you like. Me, I have to question your intelligence.

Let me bottom line this for you. I've watched Dak a lot and I see nothing, at all, that scares me about him. He's a good QB, in the right system, with the right talent. But he's not a QB that scares me without those things. You worry about Washington and say that they spent on Smith and yet, they didn't spend on Foles in 2019. Well, if they aren't worried about spending money on QBs, why didn't they go after Foles? Doesn't really matter, as I said, Dak doesn't scare me but if he scares you, then live scared I guess.

You send Dak to Washington and make them pay that contract and he's a .500 QB IMO. I have no fear of Dak on any other team in the NFC.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

In 2019 Dak Prescott was #10 in passer rating..
He was #2 in passing yards
He was #4 in QBR
He was #5 in yards per attempt
He was #3 in net yards per attempt
He was #4 in TD passes
He was #13 in completion percentage.
He was #13 in INT percentage

So in most categories he was in the top 5.. in the others he was either in the top 10 or just outside of it. He was not at or above 15 on any category that I can find. So in your estimation his performance was "in the middle?" Base on what? He threw for more yards and more TDs than Aaron Rodgers, Pat Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Matt Ryan, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.. But in the eyes of some he's "average. " Again I say... "sure.. "

Give the link.

 

[rambo2]

The best thing that the Cowboys did was signing Dak. It gives them a tremendous advantage in their division. 2 years from now Dak will be in his prime and be one of the top qbs in the NFC and the other teams in their division will probably still be looking for a qb.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Yeah we couldn't keep kicking the can down the road. Sooner or later he was getting paid. Like him or not we had no contingency plan in place..

Well, we do have a top 10 pick. If the front office decided to do something, it should have been an outright release or a per-negotiated tag & trade and then draft your QB.

That was the only way out, IMO. Then you pray your drafted QB hits.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Well, we do have a top 10 pick. If the front office decided to do something, it should have been an outright release or a per-negotiated tag & trade and then draft your QB.

That was the only way out, IMO. Then you pray your drafted QB hits.

I think there was a good case to be made that you could bring in a Vet QB on a short term deal and be good with the improved talent on the team Denim.

As example, I think you could have taken a QB to develop and perhaps, signed a guy like Rodgers in a year to come in and play for a season or two. I think that could have been doable and probably a better plan for actually competing for a Championship in the short term.

That's just my opinion.

 

[Verdict]

I don’t think there is any way we will ever know the answer to this question. I suspect the price would have gone up if that happened, BUT is is plausible that the price would have fallen. There is no way of knowing.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Do you think that other teams would have lined up with the intentions of overpaying Dak? From several posts that quoted GMs and other NFL people around the league, Dak is not as highly thought of around the league as he is with Dallas Fans. Rushing to pay the second highest contract in league history to a QB that is not even in the top five, is not a smart move in any other city than Dallas.

first, its over paying in your opinion and a few others around here....and yes, lots of teams would line up to sign Dak to 40M contract...he would have at least 4,5 suitors if he wasn't tagged. and according to many around the NFL, they were very high on him and consider him on the verge of stardom.......

and NFL market is what NFL market is....3 years from now, his contract won't be in the top 10 and would be considered great deal....that's the way of NFL, so all this highest, this, second highest that is meaningless jbberish

 

[Verdict]

How do you prove what that is? Nobody was going to pay Dak the amount we did, especially having to give up draft picks. This is not a negotiation in a vacuum. That is leverage that could have been applied but was not. Instead, we are so concerned with what Dak and his agent think about what negotiation tactics are used. Well, I guarantee you, they weren't concerned about what tactics to use against the team.

This idea that it is collusion is ridiculous. Show any proof, at all, that this is what is happening because I'm betting any amount you want that you can't. That has nothing to do with anything and you know it. At least you should. So you go ahead and tell me, how does collusion fit with allowing a player and his agent to go out and negotiate a deal with another team, allowing each party to freely discuss said contract with every team in the League if there is interest. Exactly how does that fit a collusion narrative? I mean, are you listening to yourself right now? Collusion, OK, explain that to me in a none exclusive situation if you please.

I am on the fence about this hypothetical scenario. I could see it going either way. The wild card is the Patriots. The Hoodie could have picked up Dak and run with him, with the cap room he had.

The Pats are low enough in the draft order it potentially made some sense to give up two firsts for Dak. This one is not super high, and next year you would assume the pick would be 25th or later. Not a lot to give up for a QB.

Green Bay could have also decided to move on from Rodgers as well.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I don’t think there is any way we will ever know the answer to this question. I suspect the price would have gone up if that happened, BUT is is plausible that the price would have fallen. There is no way of knowing.

Yep.

 

[Denim Chicken]

I think there was a good case to be made that you could bring in a Vet QB on a short term deal and be good with the improved talent on the team Denim.

As example, I think you could have taken a QB to develop and perhaps, signed a guy like Rodgers in a year to come in and play for a season or two. I think that could have been doable and probably a better plan for actually competing for a Championship in the short term.

That's just my opinion.

yeah, but if you looks at the vet that were signed this year, there was no Rogers available. You had the Daltons &Tyrods of the world. Stafford was the best, but he still cost significant capital.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

I think there was a good case to be made that you could bring in a Vet QB on a short term deal and be good with the improved talent on the team Denim.

As example, I think you could have taken a QB to develop and perhaps, signed a guy like Rodgers in a year to come in and play for a season or two. I think that could have been doable and probably a better plan for actually competing for a Championship in the short term.

That's just my opinion.

which vet? Dalton? really. we know how that worked out and saw him first hand. he means another top 10, or even top 5 pick. and 4 out of 5 first round QBs fail in the NFL.....and so you want to draft one, groom him for a few years, only to bulk at the salary demand which by that time will be above 50M and then go get another QB....isn't that what we did with Dak? lucked into him in the 4th. developed him and now walk away to start all over again.....

that's far from a championship formula, unless you luck into the 1st over all pick. and you end up with a Lawrence as opposed to a Goff and Wentz that year....

I bet you like visiting Las Vegas, since you seemingly like to gamble.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Well, we do have a top 10 pick. If the front office decided to do something, it should have been an outright release or a per-negotiated tag & trade and then draft your QB.

That was the only way out, IMO. Then you pray your drafted QB hits.

4 out of 5 first round drafted QBs fail....so you like to draft a QB to find out three year from now that he is not the answer and go drafting again....or perhaps you hope we end up with the #1 pick and a Lawrence type of QB comes out as opposed to a Goff and Wentz.....

we have an offense that works, and is among the best in the league....we obviously need to fix the defense and you ain't doing it through FA. not enough money and not the right FAs and if they are any good, they are over priced, just like any other FA worth their dollar. and there is not one single player in FA that can lift this bottom feeding defense to average on their own.....

if we can't draft well defensively, Mahomes, Wilson or Rodgers couldn't help this team to a championship.....

 

[RonnieT24]

Give the link.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2019/passing.htm#passing::pass_rating

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2019/passing.htm#passing::pass_rating

So this is one site, that apparently shows Dak at 10, which is fine. But it also shows Rodgers at 12, Wents at 13, Ryan at 14 and Deshawn at 11. Tell me, how many GMs in the league are going to rate Prescott ahead of any of those QBs. And that's what is being discussed here, how valuable Dak would be in 2019.

I can give you sites from 2019 where Dak is not valued as the 10th QB in the league. It's the difference between putting up stats and the actual value statement behind the perception of any given player.

As I said, Dak doesn't scare me on another NFC team.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I am on the fence about this hypothetical scenario. I could see it going either way. The wild card is the Patriots. The Hoodie could have picked up Dak and run with him, with the cap room he had.

The Pats are low enough in the draft order it potentially made some sense to give up two firsts for Dak. This one is not super high, and next year you would assume the pick would be 25th or later. Not a lot to give up for a QB.

Green Bay could have also decided to move on from Rodgers as well.

I don't really see that as being the case, to be honest, but if thats the case then OK. I'm good with taking those two Firsts and moving forward.

I don't think the Pats are a Playoff team with Dak in a year, that's just the truth of it to me. I think they could be in a few years but not in a single year. Defensively, they are OK but Offensively, they don't really have much from that 2020 team. Harris, he's OK but he's not a guy that is top 10 in the league. They have an old Edelman and a very questionable OL. They sign Dak to a big contract and they don't have a lot of extra cap to improve that Offense over night. You see Dak having a big year, coming off injury with that OL? I don't really see that but that's just me. I think if the Pats do that deal, we are picking in the Top 10 again.

You figure, the Pats are now in a division with the Bills, who they are not catching in a year. A much improved Miami team, who many say are a QB away and a Jets team who is picking second overall. I don't see them winning their own division next year, even with Dak, to be honest.

JMO.