The Cowboys have had a busy offseason, yet they’re still waiting for a very good amount to get done. Yes, that offseason did include a changing of coordinators, the signing of some free agents, and a draft, but what many have viewed as Dallas’ most pressing concerns have yet to be taken care of.
Contract extensions for quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb have seemingly been on the forefront within the front office of late, but owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones insists that that doesn’t mean they aren’t eager about defensive star Micah Parsons, as well, per Todd Archer of ESPN.
For the last several weeks, we have now been seeing updates on the contract situations for Prescott and Lamb. Unlike Parsons, each players are on contract years. Like Parsons, though, each players are more likely to set to high marks at their position for salary numbers. Prescott and Lamb are each hoping to earn recent deals, but they’re set to receive $34MM and $32.13MM, respectively, in money this yr. They’d obviously prefer long-term security, but playing out their currents deals is just not the tip of the world.
It must be a much larger priority for the team because the two make up cap hits of $55.13MM and $17.99MM, respectively. Signing their two offensive stars to recent contracts would allow the Cowboys to cut back their cap impacts for the 2024 NFL season providing a major amount of respiratory room to sign last-second veterans or push on the trade deadline. In an effort to achieve this, though, they’ll must work harder to get recent deals done.
The other situation applies to Parsons’ situation. This yr, Parsons only represents a $5.43MM cap hit for Dallas, and he’ll only receive $2.99MM in money — perhaps certainly one of the league’s best bargains. The team also picked up his fifth-year option, in order that they know he’ll be under contract at the very least through next season. Still, Jones denies that the team is taking this approach.
“Well, to begin with, I do know what you’re implying,” Jones said in reply to a matter asking in regards to the status of Parsons’ contract in regard to Lamb and Prescott’s. “He’s not a backburner issue, but that’s not the purpose. You’re saying, ‘how in regards to the urgency of his contract?’ And I believe that, obviously, Micah’s a key player for the Cowboys and, in my mind, just really getting began.
“It’s exciting with what (Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer)’s got him (doing), how he’s practicing, and what they’re eager about how they could be using (him) to get more production.” Jones concluded, “He’s front and center, and his potential future, relative to contract, impacts our considering today about contracts. So, in that sense, he’s within the view, the mirror.”
Jones’ comments don’t do much to ease any concerns that Parsons is on the backburner. He lauds Parsons for his impact on the sector and is worked up about how he’ll work together with his recent defensive coordinator. He even offers that Parsons’ potential extension impacts how they’re eager about Prescott and Lamb’s deals. But he doesn’t offer much in the best way of progress on an actual Parsons extension.
It seems the Cowboys will likely do as they’ve done with Prescott and Lamb, benefiting from every little bit of time in Parsons’ current deal. They’ll likely scramble to attempt to ensure that that they don’t must pay the outrageous figures of the fifth-year option, but for now, Jones’ comments don’t paint Parsons as much of a priority.
