Even without a long-term deal for Dak, drafting a QB seems unlikely
Over the next couple of weeks, the Dallas Cowboys' negotiations with Dak Prescott should heat up. March 9th is the deadline for NFL clubs to franchise tag players, and the goal should be clear. Avoid the tag at all costs by extending Dak Prescott to a long-term deal before the deadline. Otherwise, the Cowboys will […]
Over the next couple of weeks, the Dallas Cowboys' negotiations with Dak Prescott should heat up. March 9th is the deadline for NFL clubs to franchise tag players, and the goal should be clear. Avoid the tag at all costs by extending Dak Prescott to a long-term deal before the deadline.
Otherwise, the Cowboys will be in deep trouble. As Jerry Jones himself has publicly admitted, Prescott has all the leverage in the current negotiations. If the quarterback is tagged for the second consecutive year, the chances of him sticking around, in the long run, diminish drastically. A second tag means Dak can follow Kirk Cousins' steps and get a taste of free agency.
If the Cowboys fail to extend Dak Prescott before March 9th, the franchise tag will come. Then the question will become, what's next?
Uncertainty at the quarterback position calls for desperate measures, and the quest for a new QB, even if it's as "insurance" for a potential Prescott departure in 2022, could begin right away.
If the Dallas Cowboys tag Dak Prescott, could they surprise us by picking a quarterback with the 10th overall pick?
I'll be the first to tell you that I hate the fact that this is even a possibility. After all, I'm a firm believer the Cowboys should've paid Prescott years ago. Yet, as March 9th gets closer and closer, not discussing this scenario would be short-sighted.
However, drafting a quarterback seems highly unlikely for the Dallas Cowboys. First of all, even if they franchise tag Prescott, the front office will continue to negotiate with Dak in order to strike a deal and keep him from leaving in 2022. It might be a tough task, but they'll likely pursue it.
If that's the case, drafting a quarterback isn't likely to help the cause. While the relationship between both parties hasn't been a concern, a move like this could certainly make a big impact.
But even if the Cowboys decided they wanted to look at drafting a quarterback, would they find their guy? While this class features plenty of quarterbacks for the first round, I wouldn't be surprised to see them all off the board when the Cowboys' turn comes around.
Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Justin Fields might all be gone in the Top 5 picks. Trey Lance is a bit of a wildcard, having the potential of being drafted earlier than many would predict.
Drafting a quarterback seems like an easy solution for many fans, but taking a look at history shows us it's basically a coin toss. What's worse, though, the Dallas Cowboys are not in the same situation as say, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Cowboys have what teams are looking for in the NFL Draft. They can avoid all of this uncertainty by doing what they should've done a long time ago. Extending Dak Prescott won't be easy if they franchise tag him again. The time to sign him to a long-deal is now, and March 9th seems to be the most important day of the offseason.
Imagen destacada vía Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
