erod
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What to do?
Finding an elite QB is dadgum hard to do in a world where so few exist. Especially when you're good enough to almost never be drafting high enough to get one of the high-probability prospects. You have to find lightning in a bottle or make a better mousetrap with what you have on hand.
Dallas knows this.
They've chosen the "all in" approach to Dak Prescott as the guy to build around, partly of desire and partly of desperation. They so want to look "brilliant" with that 4th-round stroke of luck, and they also have no idea what to do if he doesn't pan out.
Betwixt rocks and hard places, going with Dak is understandable and logical. It's certainly the one and only path for this short window of time Dallas will have Tyron, Zeke, Cooper, Lawrence, Witten, etc, present and accounted for. What other option is there right now? None.
Contractually, Dak has the Cowboys over a barrel. If they let him ride another year on this deal (which they should), then he holds all the cards after this season.
Why would he sign a long-term deal next year? Take the franchise tag and play for $35 million. Injury is very low risk for QBs because they can easily return to the same form. Then, why sign the next year either? Play under the franchise again for $40 million. Kirk Cousins anybody? That dude has made $150 million doing this dance because Washington drug their feet unconvinced. Dak could posture his way to $200 million total after the 2020 season.
There's just no good answer for Dallas here.
They have to first determine how they can get to a Super Bowl with Dak, a la Brad Johnson, Trent Dilfer, Rex Grossman, young Ben Roethlisberger, Jeff Hostelter, etc. It can obviously be done because it's been done before. The recipe is smothering defense and a stout run game to go with an efficient, low-risk passing game.
However, none of those guys had monster contracts. With that approach, how can Dallas delegate a huge portion of the salary cap to a quarterback who doesn't carry the team on his back? How can they pay the needed players for that smothering defense if it's mostly going to Dak? How can they keep the offensive line together? Can they afford a single elite receiver?
You can't pay everybody, so you have to make sure you're paying the straws that stir the drink. At this moment in time, that doesn't appear to be Dak Prescott. If they back up the Brinks truck for Dak, you're going to see what's happened to Green Bay. Unload the roster, and let Rodgers determine everything.
Of course, there's some risk for Dak, too. But it's mild because there are desperate sucker teams everywhere, as Brock Osweiler, Dante Culpepper, Kirk Cousins, Joe Flacco, etc, will attest.
If he levels out at where he is, the market might not be so fertile for him. Perhaps it's best to take a lesser deal now for more security down the road. He almost certainly will NOT do that, lest the players union castrate him in the town square.
So here we are. Such is life with an average QB. Could be a helluva lot worse for sure, but just how good can it really be?
Tick, tock. Time's a wasting.
Finding an elite QB is dadgum hard to do in a world where so few exist. Especially when you're good enough to almost never be drafting high enough to get one of the high-probability prospects. You have to find lightning in a bottle or make a better mousetrap with what you have on hand.
Dallas knows this.
They've chosen the "all in" approach to Dak Prescott as the guy to build around, partly of desire and partly of desperation. They so want to look "brilliant" with that 4th-round stroke of luck, and they also have no idea what to do if he doesn't pan out.
Betwixt rocks and hard places, going with Dak is understandable and logical. It's certainly the one and only path for this short window of time Dallas will have Tyron, Zeke, Cooper, Lawrence, Witten, etc, present and accounted for. What other option is there right now? None.
Contractually, Dak has the Cowboys over a barrel. If they let him ride another year on this deal (which they should), then he holds all the cards after this season.
Why would he sign a long-term deal next year? Take the franchise tag and play for $35 million. Injury is very low risk for QBs because they can easily return to the same form. Then, why sign the next year either? Play under the franchise again for $40 million. Kirk Cousins anybody? That dude has made $150 million doing this dance because Washington drug their feet unconvinced. Dak could posture his way to $200 million total after the 2020 season.
There's just no good answer for Dallas here.
They have to first determine how they can get to a Super Bowl with Dak, a la Brad Johnson, Trent Dilfer, Rex Grossman, young Ben Roethlisberger, Jeff Hostelter, etc. It can obviously be done because it's been done before. The recipe is smothering defense and a stout run game to go with an efficient, low-risk passing game.
However, none of those guys had monster contracts. With that approach, how can Dallas delegate a huge portion of the salary cap to a quarterback who doesn't carry the team on his back? How can they pay the needed players for that smothering defense if it's mostly going to Dak? How can they keep the offensive line together? Can they afford a single elite receiver?
You can't pay everybody, so you have to make sure you're paying the straws that stir the drink. At this moment in time, that doesn't appear to be Dak Prescott. If they back up the Brinks truck for Dak, you're going to see what's happened to Green Bay. Unload the roster, and let Rodgers determine everything.
Of course, there's some risk for Dak, too. But it's mild because there are desperate sucker teams everywhere, as Brock Osweiler, Dante Culpepper, Kirk Cousins, Joe Flacco, etc, will attest.
If he levels out at where he is, the market might not be so fertile for him. Perhaps it's best to take a lesser deal now for more security down the road. He almost certainly will NOT do that, lest the players union castrate him in the town square.
So here we are. Such is life with an average QB. Could be a helluva lot worse for sure, but just how good can it really be?
Tick, tock. Time's a wasting.
