5 Dallas Cowboys predictions that will come true before 2024 NFL season kicks off
The dead period of the 2024 NFL offseason is here for the Dallas Cowboys so it's time to start looking ahead.There will be plenty of time to make predictions about the upcoming regular season but between then and now, there are so many storylines to monitor when it comes to the Cowboys.That's why I'm locking […]
The dead period of the 2024 NFL offseason is here for the Dallas Cowboys so it's time to start looking ahead.
There will be plenty of time to make predictions about the upcoming regular season but between then and now, there are so many storylines to monitor when it comes to the Cowboys.
That's why I'm locking in five can't-miss predictions about what will happen between now and this year's NFL kickoff.
1. Dak Prescott gets extended for $60M per year before the start of the 2024 NFL regular season
The Cowboys have absolutely no leverage and will be on the losing side of negotiations if this ends up coming to fruition because as Adam Schefter recently explained, no one in the NFL has more leverage than Prescott does currently.
But really, what else can the Cowboys afford to do? Sure, we could pretend like Trey Lance is their Plan B while conveniently ignoring the fact that they neither picked up his fifth-year option nor did they extend him. They don't control Lance nor Prescott beyond the 2024 NFL season.
Quarterback limbo is no fun and letting Prescott walk could end up being one of the worst mistakes in franchise history. I believe they end up budging and signing the check to make their guy the highest-paid player in NFL history. There's no other way.
2. Stephon Gilmore is NOT brought back to the Cowboys
Cornerback depth could be much better in Dallas but they have yet to make a move that makes me believe bringing back Gilmore is an option at this stage. The Cowboys' biggest signings have been around the $3M mark with Eric Kendricks and Ezekiel Elliott.
Gilmore is likely going to be closer to the $8-10 million mark and I don't see Dallas pulling the trigger when they already have two All-Pros covering outside receivers in Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland.
You never know, however. If the price is lower than anticipated, things could change.
3. Cowboys trade for a defensive tackle
Contrary to the cornerback position, the Cowboys absolutely need help in the trenches. Beyond Osa Odighizuwa, you've got a barrage of question marks. Can Mazi Smith keep his weight up and be a quality gap-eating nose tackle? Are they betting too much on seventh-round rookie Justin Rogers? Do the Cowboys have enough size at three-technique with Osa and Chauncey Golston both being sub-290-pounds?
The Cowboys replaced Dan Quinn with Mike Zimmer to fix the run defense but it's hard doing so with a bad interior defensive line, which is what exists in Dallas right now.
Without any enticing free agent targets available, it's time to pull the trigger on a trade.
4. Cowboys end CeeDee Lamb's holdout with a Justin Jefferson-like deal
Just like with Prescott, I believe the Cowboys end up budging and signing Lamb to a very similar deal to Jefferson's. The real question will be what the structure looks like, as Jefferson's reset of the wide receiver market is bigger than first meets the eye because of the first few years' cash flow.
Lamb might not push the market up a whole lot or at all, but expect him to come in somewhere around the $35M per year mark while the rest of the WR market was somewhere around $28M when looking deeper into the numbers.
5. Trey Lance gets 100% of the snaps for at least one preseason game
There's nothing the Cowboys can learn about Cooper Rush this August that they don't already know. He is what he is and a few preseason drives won't change anything.
Meanwhile, head coach Mike McCarthy has admitted what Trey Lance needs is reps and while training camp and joint practices will go a long way to show what the former third-overall draft pick has to offer, getting him significant playing time in the preseason will be crucial.
Keep in mind, Lance has 102 pass attempts in his career. There's an argument to be made he needs a 100% snap count through the Cowboys' three preseason games. I believe it happens at least for one.
