Cowboys Break: Who Gets Extended First … Amari, Dak or Zeke?

David Hellman here, I'm not I'm here. Yeah, just there you. Good morning, guys, welcome to another episode of The Break. Uh, Derek is not here, but we have Bryan broad Is filling filling in for him today. We have a lot of things to talk about. The the Marcus deal finally got done after a lot of discussions, and last week I think we were headed to the point where we thought things weren't really gonna maybe not work out. You know, things were getting a lot of discussions there where it

wasn't headed that way anyways. DeMarcus Lawrence basically got the biggest deal in Cowboys franchise history, with one hundred and five million dollars twenty one million per year for five years and sixty five million dollars guaranteed. Now, you guys were at the press conference, heard everything that was set there. How did it go from things getting heated too quickly

getting that deal made the biggest deal in franchise history. Well, I think obvious there was a phone call a story on that, So we'll let you talk a little bit more about it. But sometimes these you know, the negotiations back and forth that you needed, you know, make it a human beings are involved here. It's not just a football player and the owner and the agent and all that stuff. It's like, let's get this thing down to

let's talk this thing out. And I believe that's kind of what happened when they kind of gotten the room and said how do we make this work? Yeah, which Steven Jones said yesterday that it's not rare to do that, but it sure's hell seems like it is, because like that doesn't seem like a novel concept to me. And so often during these during these types of standoffs, like you know, you go back to Dez in twenty fifteen, like you know, they're not communicating, they haven't talked to

each other in months. It seems like that would be a good idea and that sounds like what happened here, And you know it came out over the weekend. David Canter was very open about it. You know, DeMarcus Lawrence got on a conference call with the Cowboys and they laid out what they want. They were honest about it, they were respectful. You know, DeMarcus said he wanted to

be here. It sounds like, you know, his camp was trying to get him to not demand a trade, but broach trade topics, and DeMarcus was like, no, I don't want to do that to be here. And at the same time, I love the line from yesterday where you know, DeMarcus was kind of like, your problems aren't my problems, Like, I know, you got to figure out the cap that's really that's not my job, that's your job. And it's true,

It's absolutely true. We say that all the time. You know, it's on the Cowboys to make all those things work. It doesn't affect a Marcus's bottom line at all. And you know they were able to get on a conference call and speak to each other as like you said, as human beings, And it sounds like that made a ton of difference because all of a sudden you go from there at an impass to not only have they hammered out a deal, but it is a remarkably fair deal.

Like everybody here got what they wanted. DeMarcus is making more than he would have made under the tag. He's getting more guaranteed in the first three years than basic like any non quarterback in the league, and the Cowboys have him at a number that makes sense, and more importantly than that, they can get out from under it in three years, which I think is everything. Why was

this not done the first place? Then that's my point. See, that's if that if all it makes, if all it takes is to hop on a conference call, then we could have handled this thing out a while. If if you know, we were starting to hear rumors of discontent between the agent and the front office on some things, and so you know, I can understand, Okay, yeah, you know this is the to me, this is this is

the thing. That's that's the if if it was, if it if it took just a conference call to get this done, you know that doesn't Why wasn't this not start? Why wasn't it not gone in this direction to begin with. You know, and again I can understand the the you know, if if the agent has a problem with the front office, front office has a problem with the agent, you know,

all that should have been put. He's right though, it's not his problem, but it also is this problem because you know, the cowboys have to think about what they're doing in the future with their contracts. You know, they have to think about with Dak, with Zeke, with Cooper, with all those guys. So it absolutely is you know, he could say it's not his problem, but it is

his problem. It's not it's no, no, it's not his problem, but I mean it, it becomes his problem exactly exactly if they you know, to me, if this was as cut and dry and quick as you know, you know, they're saying, oh, well, you know we were. I think there were some erroneous reports about it, Oh he wants twenty three million dollars and all that stuff like that.

I think that that that was probably you know, when you talk to people behind the scenes, that affected you know, Calvin Watkins came out with that twenty three million dollars, with this demand and all that, I think that affected the negotiations I think it did. I think it affected the negotiations on the side of Cantor and those guys because they were put in a in a in a

bad light right there. So you know, I mean, maybe maybe there were some some hurt feelings as this thing went off and then it's like, Okay, we've got to get this thing done. But I just don't understand what I mean. If Dak is part of this, and Zeke is part of this, and Cooper is part of this, then why wasn't you know, why wasn't DeMarcus part of this way back before? Kind of like you just said,

I mean, why is this going to now? Because they don't seem to be dragging their feet on anybody else, so why why were we dragging our feet on it? And that you know, I think there was problems between the groups, I really do. And they can act like that there weren't problems, but you you, if you, if you kind of sniff around enough, which everybody in this room will do, you will find out that, you know, it wasn't really all hunky dory, you know. And Steve

why Stephen Jones kind of hinted at that yesterday. He's like, you know, if you're not careful, these things can become confrontational and you forget that you're actually really on the same team. You know, DeMarcus Lawrence is technically he's under club control. He is a Dallas cowboy, He's not you're in a me. He's one of your best players. But it's easy to forget that when you start haggling over money.

And I guess my point is, and you know, I'm not privy to these conversations, so I don't want to be too quick to judge. But like I said so many times, it feels like it feels like whenever these things happen, the team and the agent are talking to the media more than they're talking to each other. Yeah, you know what I mean, Like you're leaking things to them. You know, maybe the team side is leaking that the player wants too much money, or the players leaking that

the team sent him him an insulting offer. Instead of doing all that, why don't you just hop on a conference call and say, hey, it's me, it's DeMarcus, It's the guy that you drafted and developed. I'm not trying to bend you over a barrel. I just want what's mine. And the team says, we get that, and here's what we're willing to do, and maybe this stuff would be easier. See, I know, from the Cowboys point of view, and we're in the building every day, I didn't I didn't hear

one thing reguarding the contract. I never heard, you know, And it could have been really easy for the Cowboys to put it out through one of us said hey, okay, his demands are unreasonable. I mean they had it buttoned down from their end. Yeah, So everything that we were hearing, in my opinion, it was coming from the other side, you know. That's where I mean, I was the cowboys. I feel like the cowboys in this negotiation, we're gonna put their heads down and go and try and get

this thing done. And you know, again we we we live in this building and there's things you hear. But that was something I never heard, never heard anything the way the negotiations were going from their end, or the money or the numbers or any of that stuff. You know, Actually, when you when you think about it, what d laws

Camp did was pretty good. Because if you stall on this thing and you and you say, we're not signing anything at all until we get to that point until we get you had there's a deadline of the um I'm sorry, there's a deadline for the surgery when not just the surgery, but also when when you've got to come up with the franchise tag. So if you just let that pass that you know the Cowboys are going to and once they tag him, then you're at you're

over twenty million, right. So I think if they would have done this beforehand, yeah, they probably would get him in at eighteen nineteen or something like that. But as soon as you tag me and sell me I'm a twenty and a half million, you know, a year player, then that's where it starts. And so I think that's probably what their point wasn't it. If that's the case, it worked, Yeah, I mean it. If his goal was to be paid Mac money, then I guess it didn't

work out. But this whole thing worked out in Demarcus's favorite. To their camp, they'll tell you that that wasn't their goal. No, Well, and that's my point is I don't think it was. But I'm saying, you know, you can be as critical as you want of the surgery play, but it certainly seems like it works. I don't think this deal gets done on Friday of last week if he doesn't need to have that surgery. I agree, I think it goes right up until the deadline. Just liked as Is did so,

and the Cowboys sit all loong. He doesn't have any leverage on this. I think he did it sure seems like it. Yeah, that I was the leverage. I was thinking of it, go get the surgery. Now you're now you're forced them to do something. Well, I was, well, I was gonna does design really love? I was going to bring the whole point of you being the one to argue starting last week that you thought it was the best idea for him to get the surgery right

and that would help him get the negotiation. So what was your output on that whole just looking at the difference of what happened out there with the whole negotiation part and the injury. Yeah, I felt initially I thought that the surgery as he used it was kind of going to be something that that would be as he uses it, it's going to be the hammer for him to say, Okay, I'm not going to get the surgery.

That when then Jerry Jones came out and said wait a minute, I am not paying high dollar, you know for you know, for something that's for somebody that's injured. I mean, it's the here's time about the first year of the contract. Then all of a sudden, now you're starting to think. At that point, you're going, okay, wait a minute, here's the plan. Okay, if you're not gonna

if you're worried about that, I'll get the surgery. And it's a way to maybe you know, Okay, I'm giving you something, now you give me something back, you know, in the negotiations. So that's when when when I heard what Jerry Jones said, that made me flip completely, like, okay, Tank, if you want to make this thing work, go get the surgery, go get this done, right But he didn't. He didn't need to do that. You wound up getting the deal anyway without without having to have the surgery done. Yeah,

well that's what I'm saying. I mean, I think the deal went a lot faster than we even thought once. I mean, we thought it was going to drag on, drag on, drag on, But something changed last week and it might have been again that conversation that Stephen Jones had with his representatives that like, Okay, you know, this is this is where we're going. I'm trying to figure out what flipped this to make it and maybe getting

the player involved the way they did. Maybe Tank went to them and said, you know, went to his report to Canter and said, hey, what's the best deal that they've offered us? Well, you know, and let's let's let's if we had this number in mind, let's go with it. You know, we talk all the time about deadlines, you know, and maybe this was the deadline if you think about it. We were we were asked about the draft that but also when when will he be ready to play? Yes?

Do you think he'll be ready? Do you think? I mean, we talked about it before the show, and it sounds like everyone's kind of like right there, like is this a five month? Is a six month? Three? Have so to get this thing done with any chance of him being ready for week one? Maybe this was a deadline. I think it was, And so it's an arbit it's a it's not a real deadline like the July fifteenth deadline, but I think the draft is like the drop dead date to have hope of him being ready for the opener.

And even yesterday Stephen said, you know, I asked him, you know, what's the plan for the spring in the summer, and he said, you know, we're going to get him to work with our with our rehab guy, Britt Brown. He's one of the best in the business. And he said, the hope is to have him ready for the opener. So, I mean, you know, I have all the faith in the world, and then in the medical team, but I think it's they're going to be working right up until that.

If I had to guess, yeah, that'll be a shame. It'll be a shame on both ends. If if he's misses a week or two, well, yeah, I know. And to your point though, if we miss a week or two, because this deal seems pretty simple to me now, you know if you look at the way it was done. I mean, we all talk. We had this discussion and I was kind of getting on you guys when we had with the argument with Derek when on the show. Yeah,

if you like him, pay him. But but but you guys, at the end of the day end up getting the number you wanted, you know, So how hard was that? That's it? And and if you lose if you lose a week of the season or two weeks in the season because you were you know, this wasn't something. This doesn't seem very tricky to me. This doesn't seem like, at the end of the day, this didn't turn into twenty five million dollars a year. It's twenty one million dollars a year. Okay, Well, why did we not get

to this point? And we I keep saying this. I think there was a problem between the front office and the and the and the agent itself. I don't think. I don't know how you could dispute that fact at this point. And that's kind of once you get over the excitement. Okay, they got tank. You get over the excitement and like the relief that this standoff is over, you look at the contract and you're like, this is

so fair and simple for both sides. Like he slots in right behind mac miller and Donald, right above Flowers and some of those other guys, and it's like, this is where it should have been all along again. If so, that's my point from the top of the show is if all it took was for him to hop on a call with Stephen, exactly, why did it take till April eighth, when I was at the Pro Bowl. We were interviewing d Law and he was kind of not trying to talk about the contract and the agent, which

I didn't really know him at the time. What's his first name, David? Okay, he leans into the conversation. He's like leaning in and I don't know who this is, and everyone thinks it's funny. I'm like, now it makes sense that, Okay, he's the agent he's trying to hear. He talked to reporters afterwards and they said it is gonna be tough, and he said, I don't know why this is tough. It starts at twenty and then it goes,

you know, a little bit over that. That's it. Yeah, And at the end of the three months here, that's pretty much what if you've ever been in, like trying to get a business deal done, If you still have the time, you're gonna take that time if you can and keep because in your mind you think, oh, let's see what's the best deal I can get, And both

parts are thinking the same thing. So yes, if at the end of the day they ended up meeting in the middle, and yeah, it ended up being the same thing, but still you want to take advantage of that extra time. If this week was kind of their deadline for having it done, so there was no really rushing in there. See is this right now? If you look at this, did this affect him on other deals? If you could have got something done earlier? Does it affect you on

another deal this or something? Why? I don't see why it would. I mean, what, you're not working with a deadline on anybody else. And as far as I know, I think he's talking about an Earl Thomas. Oh, I'm sorry, I was thinking about the other that's something else in free agency though, whether again you talk about Earl Thomas.

If this is something you get going right out of the gate, is that something that maybe okay, now we got momentum and you usually but but I think the way that that they're saying this is structure, that this is a mainly a three year That means a lot of this is hitting right off the bat. So I don't that's it freed up nine million in cap space. But like in your heart of hearts, you know that

you know what Earl Thomas wound up getting from Baltimore? Right, Do you really think that they're going in on that even if they had the extra money, I would It's not what I asked. No, but I think it's going to come to a point where they're going to draft a safety and they might draft when at fifty eight. Don't you think that was maybe their hope all along? I no, No, I'm fifty five. Put I tried to

trade this, Yeah, I mean I'm trying. I'm trying to think about cutting him and doing all this kind I mean, I'm not saying at all possible. I'm not asking what you would do. Do you think they would have gone after Earl even with the money that they saved by saying, you know what, I should have known better when the Earl Thomas Earl Thomas dream died on Draft night last year? Yeah,

last year. Yes. Instead of me trying to like say, oh, well, they're gonna yea Earl Thomas, I'd do this this that No, that dream died in the second round at pick two V. The visual of him coming to the Cowboys locker room was enticing, and the fact that they tried it on draft night added fuel to the fire. But this team was never gonna jump in for fifty million on a free agent. They haven't done it in almost a decade.

And I'm actually okay with that. I am too, because as soon as I saw the price of that contract, I was like, I'm out. If you could have done

three years thirty all right? And to me, and I know some people may not think this is a big deal or you know, but flipping off your team when you're getting carted off the field like that just kind of shows a different mentality of kind of what you're about and who you're about, and it starts with with you, you know, And I just I don't know, I don't know if it again, I was all about it, and it would have been cool to have him here, but but that that didn't sit well with me doing so

the finger changed her mind. Flipping off your team, Yeah, I thought it was awesome. But why because like because, but you wouldn't do that. You think Russell Westbrook is awesome. You mean, you like that kind of stuff, which is fine, But I'm saying, but you you're hurt and you're pissed and flipping off your team that isn't awesome. It depends on the situation. I mean, I think anybody that's on his teammates know where that fingers directed. That's how I

feel like they know he's not off your coach. He's flipping off everybody above them, from Carol to Schneider to who he ain't flipping off. You know, I don't even know the I don't even know the other dbs and the Seahawks secondary anymore, Like they're all gone. But he wasn't flipping off his teammates anyway. Okay, it just just deals to seem so simple, you know now it was, and I'm thinking, Okay, this is gonna be to off. This is you know, when you look at it, you're

like going, well, that makes a lot of sense. The others they're gonna be hard, yeah, the other ones. Yeah, Well everyone's happy now, especially Tank. He's making bank because of right now. And let's take a quick break boat when we come back, let's figure out whose contract this up next, dak Or Amari Cooper, who's gonna get paid

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their official tractor experience one for yourself. Visit my John Dear dealer dot com. Slash Football. Back to the break, all right. With the Marcus Lawrence deal being done, I think that sets another bar or these people to follow, which is Dak's contract that's coming up, so Amari Cooper. People are wondering whose contract should the Cowboys do next, Who's first on the line as far as priority and who would be Like what kind of money are we talking about here as far as a deal, a multi million,

multi year deal. You know, I actually have a different opinion. I think zeke m but but I don't think that's what Steven said. I mean, Steven said that it's Cooper and Daku. Of those two, I would say Cooper because he's your draft pick, he's your first round pick. He's the guy that you that you that you brought in here for because he was twenty four years old and so he did a nice job in his first year, and I would you know, he's going to be here.

I mean, if if Dak struggles this year and they find out he's not the quarterback, Cooper is still going to be the number one receiver. If if Cooper has that off year, they're gonna get a new receiver's coach and figure out how to fix Cooper. So I think Coop for you know, the priority of those two. I wonder, I just like it all stems from the quarterback though, Like the quarterback is the domino that sets everything else.

It's the biggest contract, it's the most important player, and that I just wonder if maybe that spurs you to get something done, Like, you know, financially, doing Cooper would be the smartest because it lowers your cap and it could make it easier for you to sign other deals because he's counting fourteen million against your cap. If you sign him for five years right now, you can lower it, can you can lower it substantially, which might make it easier.

Which is why I wouldn't be surprised if Dak and Cooper are signed by the time the season rolls around, just because you talk about the training camp, we show up on the plane. Sure, one of those Dak announcements there, But I just I just, yeah, there's really they're both kind of in similar situations, because you know, I don't think anybody would argue like Amari Cooper is great, but I don't He's not the best receiver in the league. He's not Julio ab or Odell. Right now, Okay, so

the names you just mentioned. Beckham at eighteen a million a year, right, you mentioned Julio Jones at fourteen two. He's working toward twenty million a year soon. Okay, there, so that would make him the highest paid guy. Where where does he fall in all this thing? You see? I looked at that Beckham Brown, Mike Evans fifteen. I don't know where the Hopkins fifteen you're looking. That's kind of when I was looking at Jarvis Landry money right there.

I'm thinking Brandon Cooks. I think the floor. I think the floor is probably seventeen. That's my guests. I don't know. I'm not a I'm not a cap expert. But well, we did a good did a good job on that other one. You kind of had this so that he had Lawrence pegged at one spot, and yeah, but I figure it out. I also said that if it were up to me, I'd pay him mac money just to get it over with. So, yeah, you just wanted to get over with it. I just wanted to not have

to talk about it anymore. I just for a number one is messing up that whole thing. Oh, there's players will mess up some contracts. Now, well, he did have a thousand yards season, right, Look at the ages of these cats. Beckham's twenty seven, Antonio Brown's thirty one, Right, that's Mike Evans twenty six, DeAndre Hopkins is twenty seven, and Cooper's twenty four. Yeah, exactly, there's not a twenty four year old in the top ten of this thing.

I don't I don't think you're getting this deal done for less than seventeen million a year and maybe more than that. Which that was the point I was going to make is the word on the street is that Julio Jones is working toward a twenty million dollars a year contract at the same time Russell Wilson is trying to get something done. He said a deadline of Monday, which if that's not gonna happen, no, it's not gonna happen,

So gonna let that happen right now. But point being, there are other quarterbacks working toward massive deals too, So do you want to try to get these Deck and Amari deals done before somebody else sets the market or do you want to wait and see what the market looks like? Did it really matter? Did it really matter on this last contract where the market was. I think teams were looking at just like the franchise tag mannered

and this one didn't it. Yeah, and people will be looking at Russell because he's probably the best quarterback of that group, But just like the defensive ends, we're looking at d Law. You know, I don't think Dak. I think I think the market will trickle down for him. But I mean I don't think you can compare what Dak and Russell Wilson have done. Yeah, well you can't. But again, I mean that's that's the free agent market

for you though. I mean, was Kirk Cousins really worth what he got paid when he hit free Agency's got money and Cousins has the money and Derek Carr got the money. Quarterback to me is the most shaky paid position in the league. May like shaky guys up there getting I mean you know what I'm saying. Yeah, I mean there's some guys that are like thinking, he gets what you know, the Kirk Cousins thing is the whole

that that to me is a very shaky situation. And that's my point is because you can put down their resumes on paper and be like, well, Russell Wilson's clearly better than Dad. Yeah, but then you say he's twenty five. He's got more wins over the last three years than anybody not named. He's won two division titles. He's got a playoff win in three series or three seasons. Maybe

I misspoken. He's rushed for eighteen touchdowns on top of everything he's done as a passer, and all of a sudden you're like, well, yeah, Dak probably could command thirty one million on the open market if he got there. You know what's what's weird is I think it's cap charge. I looked at it in different ways, but I think it's his cap value this year. Is he ranked sixty ninth in the league in among quarterbacks. Oh, it's unbelievable.

And that's seventy freaking Mike White Wow? Wow? Is that Prescott ranks sixty ninth in cap charges for quarterbacks and seventy is Michael is that after you account for the NFL increase like he's making substantially more of this? Can I jump into this conversation? I said the word shaky, and and then I thought, Man, maybe I'm not right about that. Rogers is your top we all agree, what what category are we on? We're quarterbacks, but bass salary

or what's let's go. Let's go with average per year. Okay, average per year. Rogers is at thirty three point five million a year. Okay, Now this is where it gets fun. Matt Ryan is at at thirty million dollars, okay, Kurt Cousins is at twenty eight million dollars, Jimmy Garoppolo is at twenty seven five, Matt Stafford is at twenty seven, Derek Carr is at twenty five million, and Drew Brees is at twenty five million, with Andrew Luck at twenty four to five. So three, four, five and six on

that list of never won a playoff game. Yeah, that's where that's where my word shaky comes in. And the in the best of all time, where's he? Yeah, he's not. He's down. He's down to the fourteen million. He ruins the whole thing because he doesn't care about making a market vw Alex Smith's in there, Joe Flacco's in there, Nick Boles is in there. Russell Wilsons at twenty one nine. Oh, let's take it. Let's take it forward a step because in the next two years, Okay, we already said Russell

Wilson needs a new deal. Jared Goff and Carson Wentz have club options on their contract, but they need new deals in the next two years. Cousins' is uh contract in Minnesota will be over in twenty twenty one. That's true. Cam Newton, Cam Newton, which his contracts over in twenty twenty one as well. He's a twenty he's a twenty

million dollar player. If you can find a way to pay Dak this summer, he you know, if even let's just say you made him the highest paid quarterback, which I don't even know if that would happen, but even if you did, he would be fifth on that list in a year and a half. Okay, let me ask you, this stuff works, you feel better, Okay, you probably will feel better about Dak being better than Rogers, of course, No, how about Matt Ryan. Yeah, okay, we're not gonna ste

not yet. Cousins, Yes, is okay? Is that where it stops for us? At twenty eight million dollars? That's I mean, yeah, yeah, he's got his cousins better than him. Garoppolo think I'm taking based on we're not being homers here, are we? I'm maybe we are, But like based on what I've seen on the field and what I see around him every day out you know, Matt Stafford. Yeah, every time

he's played Matt Stafford, I think he's beating him. Right, That's that's terrifying because Derek Carr Matt Stafford is unquestionably more talented than Dak. But would you trade it too right now? I don't think I would, especially, I mean no, I don't think I would. This is just so tough to figure out because like that I've been listening. But everything that Da've mentioned as far as accomplishments he's being

able to do during his time being here. When you look at that on paper and you look at his leadership around the team and all of that, yeah, you have to take that into consideration. But then there's the other part of you that watches him during game days and you get mad and you're like, oh my god, why can't the freaking pass and throw the ball down the field and this and that, and you're like, okay, we need a better quarterback. So it's like, how do

you draw the line? Stop making sense? Dinnesota, Detroit, Oakland, whoever else they get pissed off at their quarterback to Atlanta, Oh I know, okay, yes, and they all there's not a paid Yeah, the Packers, the Saints, they never get mad at their quarterback. But of those top six guys, and this includes the Falcons, Matt yeah, Matt Ryan, the Falcons, the Packers, of those top six guys, did any of them make the playoffs? And that's the stat people love to site, is that, like, I think the six most

highest paid quarterbacks didn't make it last year. I mean there's there's there's no then he's sitting right there at two or three. Then I mean, yeah, okay making it to the Okay, yes, it does start with the quarterback. He's the leader of the offense basically, but it takes a lot more than just a quarterback. I mean, if you to the playoff, it doesn't necessarily mean your quarterback is the one that got you. But if your Dak's agent.

How can you look at that list and be like, yeah, but he's not You know, ag is just outlining like the fan debate for us perfectly. I was like, well, you know, it takes more than a quarterback. You can't afford to think those kind of resources into a quarterback, especially a guy that so many people aren't sold one what he did without Zeek? Now that's this is gonna be the fun debate because would you rather pay Zeke and Amari Cooper and take a chance on getting another quarterback?

I guarantee though, and you know this because you've been in those rooms, Jerry won't do it. Though you can't say all the time, but you just said you used to drop the rooting. Whoa, whoa, whoa. You just said, could he do all that without Zeek? Right? Right? No? Could? I'm right on my argument, but I'm saying you always take Zeek out of the questions could he do all that? Could do all that? Oh No, that's the gentleman across from me there always thinks that could he do all

that without Amari Cooper? Because Zeke was there for the first eight weeks in the season last year and they weren't good. Yeah, that's what I'm saying, though he obviously needs good players around him, like Mary Cooper might be important. Everybody million dollars, you know, you're you know you're signing him. It just sucks because they're gonna get them all done, but they're gonna have absolutely nobody like Jesse Holly's gonna be like the fifth receiver because they're they're gonna have

They're gonna have nobody else. So that's the thing. It's like, that sounds sounds like somebody that does not trust their success in the draft. Well, which they've they've had success in the draft. I mean, well that if you're gonna pay all these guys, that's what you have to hit on your draft picks with everything else you have to But do had they okay, but had they hit, what would you say? Between three and seven? Are they are? They? Are they great? They do have Dak Prescott, there's no

doubt about that. Great. Malie Collins has been good. It's worth I mean it's worth as it's worth a deep dive. I haven't looked at it recently, but like they have found plenty of good players between rounds four and seven, I mean Anthony Hitchins, Damian Wilson, Dak Prescott, Cole Beasley was undrafted. Um MALIEK Collins was the third round pick. Found the human log on the scrap heap. Your favorite player Anthony Brown six Xavier Woods. I mean you need

to look at his contract. Why is he making two million dollars a year? Probably because he's started so many games the same thing. Yeah he's getting I don't have a good answer for you, but I just think in terms of like, I just think the quarterback sets the tone for everything else. That's just how I one of these guys. I don't disagree, but you know, my my problem comes when you start looking at the whole offense and how he needs too many players to be good

around him. You know, there's the line, there's the whole all line. One goes whatever, all here we go. We struggle. If the running back isn't making plays, finding the hole, getting through, Zeke's not health at all. Here is a problem. If the receiver is not catching the ball, Oh, here's a problem. How many quarterbacks don't need that? Because that rogers guys, that's why he makes thirty three million a year. How many games did they win last year. Not enough,

not enough, not enough, got to coach fire. Yeah, well they came out the other day with reasons why Yeah sure, how about how about the guy that was here for so long? Like all I ever hear about Tony is that he didn't have enough around him and he kept him competitive because he was damn good. But they didn't. Yeah, they didn't win enough. They were too That's the point that's important. That you needed better players, didn't he Okay, yeah, needed an offensive line, He needed a better running back.

They didn't get him to mark better running back, right. They eventually got him one when he was thirty two. Yeah, way too late to the sway of natural league. They got him Tyrant Smith, Zach Martin and Travis Frederick and he was in the thirties. Oh more comfortable paying a guy like that that can hold his own without the need of everybody else being great around. Tony Romo wasn't that quarterback until he was years older than dak Is. Right now, let's not get it twisted. I'm just saying

I'm gonna look at all the aspects of it. We are bait. Like what we're arguing though, like, what's what's the what is your point though, Aaron Amber wants Aaron Rodgers. That's what she said, but like she wants to say no, no, no no, what she were talking when we start talking about money and then and the amount of money that you're wanting to pay or having to pay a quarterback,

like where's the line being drawn there? When you have to look at other players because you okay Byron Jones, another guy that's coming up, do you want to keep him? And and everybody's he's the guy that's kind of getting kicked to the curb right now. And Zeke started, what the biggest one for me? It's got to be Cooper. And I know we're gonna talk about this later. I might go with Zeke, but Cooper is the one. Well, Zeke, I think it's important too. But you can sign a

Marie Cooper. I think you get a Marie Cooper at an eighteen to nineteen a year and maybe an eight or nine eight or not feel better about eight or nine year deal, just like you did with Tyrn Smith. He's young, he's gonna be here for a while, and he you can stretch his contract. You're gonna have to do that with with one of these guys. Well, which one would you do it? Whose contract are you? Whose

contract are gonna feel the least best about? I guess you know what I'm trying to say, Like when you when when you get to the point you're saying, Okay, you're gonna pay these guys, like you say, okay, you want to pay Cooper first, because you're gonna feel like that contract is gonna that's gonna contract is gonna hold value for you throughout that or is it Dak Prescott or is the ezekiel A contract going to be better for you long term? Why can't you do a Zeke

contract similar to what you did d Law. I don't mean it has to be a twenty one million, but I'm saying that type of deal where it's really a three year deal, but it's it looks like a five year deal. And yeah, you know that's kind of what you see because you think whose contract is going to hold better value? If that, guess that's what I should, I think I would be the least scared. I think I would be thought straight today. Sorry about that. I think it's what you're trying to say. I think the

answer for me was good. I agree it would be Cooper if but not. I don't want to sign anybody to an eight year deal, please, that's just begging. What did Tyrn get a seven year He got an eight year extension, And I mean that hey. First of all, it's a position that's known for longevity. He is a special class of athlete in my opinion. And on top of that, we're not done with that yet. He's got a lot of time left on that deal, and we'll

see how it holds up. I mean, see to me, I think in the steel value right now, it's getting close, but he's not done until twenty twenty three. I think we're all we all feel worse about the potential of signing the quarterback. It sounds like, all right, let's take a quick break, but when we come back. I've seen several people propose franchising him and given that a try,

let's get into that discussion when we come back. Well, a player could look good on paper, it's he's out on the field that you really find out what he's made of. That's why the Cowboys rely on more than just stats and scouting reports when building their team. When picking the tractor, it's why you should rely on more than just specs and features. You've got to take it out and put it to the test. The Cowboys did when they name John Dear their official tractor experience one

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discussing Dak's future contract, the Zekiel Elia's future contract. But here's another thought, why or why not would it be a good idea or not a good idea to franchise Dike Prescott tested out and see how he does on another year, same plan you did with Lords. To your test, that figure is twenty five twenty five and a half right now, which means if they do it next year, it'll go point seven twenty six twenty seven. For night that we kind of put him right where all those

quarterbacks are that we don't like. Am I right about that? Here's here's here's why. And you're right they did it with Tank. I don't. It doesn't. It doesn't. The defensive end numbers clearly different than a quarterback lower. It's also a less important position. It's important, but it's less important. I think I just think that's that's a bad idea for a number of reasons. One, we talked about it off the air. I'd rather start the clock ticking, like

if you signed him in June again. And you know we say this all the time, these NFL deals, they're really like three year deals, or if it's a six year deal, it's a four year deal. Like, it's all about the guarantees and how quickly you can get away from the decision. If you sign him now, you're getting it's one. You're getting closer. Yeah, you're getting closer that anyway, So your dad's going to start for you, regardless whether it's on two million dollars salary as a rookie contract

right now or whether it's on a new deal. He's your starter. So you can count this year toward that right now. If you sign him now, and if if you decide you're not happy with it, you're all the closer to getting away from it. Whereas if you franchise

him next year, you're paying twenty eight million. You've got to pay him that money, and then if he keeps bawling and keeps doing it, then all of a sudden, the price is even higher than it already was, and you're another year away from being able to get out from under that deal. He's another year older. And then there's the psychological aspect of it, where if there's one guy in the entire locker room who I don't want to be unhappy or not bought in, it's the quarterback.

I do not want Dak Prescott's Yeah, we say it like, I mean, I think he's better than he gets credit for from a from a mechanic standpoint and accuracy, he's better than he gets credit for. But let's not kid ourselves like his best feature is leadership and CHARISMI getting people together. I don't want there to be any doubt that he's bought in or all in on the side

of the franchise. I don't want him even maybe sort of questioning whether or not he's got a future here, because I think people that are asking that are probably people that still have those doubts as well. Sure, and that's what a franchise tag is because if you didn't think that that, you know, he wasn't that guy that you could sign five or six years, you probably wouldn't give it to him. That's why they give it to d law It's like, well, well, he's had one good year,

can he do it again? Yeah? But is it a way you give him twenty eight million dollars for the franchise tag and say he plays well on it. Isn't that the proof again, because you're you're you're giving him a lot of money and you're making him, making him play for it. If he if he stinks, then you got your answer. What he can't handle the pressure of being a twenty eight million dollar ar quarterback? Am I Am? I wrong about it? You're not wrong. It's just the

question is has he already proven it? In three years? Has he proven it? Does? And that's that's the debate. That's the debate that we think he's better than half those stiffs at up top of the board. Right. That's why I agree with with what Dave is saying. I do I think you start it now because I don't think he's I mean, yeah, you can, you can, you can have Is he gonna make two million? He doesn't need to be making two million? This is this is

similar to what Emmett Smith back in ninety three. I mean, what else does he need to do? He doesn't need to be making two million a year. He needs a new deal. He should get a new deal this year. Well, I mean, on top of everything else, yeah, you can bring fairness into it. I mean, he's even if you think he sucks, you cannot deny that he's drastically outperformed his contract. He is the most underpaid player in sports probably period and one of the most scrutinized players here exactly.

But any okay, let's again, let's go through with your thought experiment. If you do all that, you make him play on the tag, he plays out this contract, you tag him, so then the quickest you can be crumbles. Okay, he's terrible. He sucks next year on the tag, he sucks in two years on the tag. So the quickest you can get away from Dak Prescott is twenty twenty one. Right, if you sign him in June. By twenty twenty one,

you're already close to being done with that. Anyway, Well, I mean you got you got a year or two before you can get away from it. You need to draft the quarterback. Anyway, I'd rather just start the clock. And then, on top of that what I just said, if you sign him, if you sign him at training camp, he will be a bargain in two years, like the market will push and that's like this contract will look good in comparison in no time, Like that's how these

things work. So I I mean, you know, Romo, Romo got what like twenty million a year, and that was insane. That was only five years five six years ago, and now the salaries are astronomically higher than that. Rogers has a full eighty million dollars on top of his deal to what Romo got. What's Breeze doing why twenty five million? He's cheese that Freeze and Brady are outliers. They're closer to the to the end of their career. They've made

all the money they need to make. Brady is especially annoying because his wife, Gizelle brings she makes more than he does, and so they can afford to do that. You cannot expect a single twenty five year old who was drafted in the fourth round to be willing to play by the same rules by a Hall of Famer

who's on his eighth contracts rules. I just mean, it's mess up the whole Oh, Breeze and Brady ruined this whole thing because they're arguably the best two quarterbacks in the league and they're playing for pennies and Mark, can I ask one question, real quick. Yeah, okay, we're let's slot, let's slop this runner. Then oh what real quick? Um, Mahomes is going to be up soon too. I mean like after this season they can start negotiating with him, and what do you think that's going to fetch? Yeah?

What do you like? So? But who would you rather have? I would rather have Pat Mahomes. But that's not the point. The point is what is your point? The Chiefs are going to sign him to a two hundred million dollars deal, that's not in your ballpark. Then if you really think that Mahomes is better, you're not going to sign your guy to a two hundred million But that's what if let's just say, let's just say that Dak gets him back to the playoffs this year, maybe they even get

to the NFC title game. Let's be optimistic, okay, And then Mahomes breaks the bank with a two hundred million dollar deal and Dak, who is not as good as Mahomes but has this fantastic resume through four years, is like where my money at? Yeah, let's again, let's start the clock on this thing and avoid these types of conversations. It's not that's not wrong. Todd Gurley making fourteen three, Leveon Bell making thirteen one, David Johnson making thirteen million.

This is just a year. This is a year where he's You look at Zeke, he's okay better than Bell. Yes, he's he's a fifteen To me, he's a fifteen million. If that's it. Garcia, Yeah, I'm four for sixty. Yikes, right, I don't disagree with you right now. He is if you look at where he's he is, he is behind Lamar Miller. Lamar Miller makes six point five, he makes six point two. You got werenad ahead of him. Jerk McKinnon, Barkley, McCoy, Freeman,

David Johnson, Leban Bill, Todd, Gurley, McKinnon. What is that deal? It's from the forty nine ers. That's seven and a half a year they had. They have ungodly amounts of cast space hunting money. Yeah, that only get that they had that quarterback that we really didn't like that I made this. I didn't say I didn't like Jimmy Garoppolo. I just liked that kind of you did you kind of gave you did that sharp pay face. The guys played like nine games. Yeah, they gave him a lot

of money for nine games. Where's he was? He falls? He is, he's better than David Johnson, right, you think he's better. You think he's number one? Yeah, number one on the list. I made this comment like a month ago. It really him. I'm good with that. Pay him. I'm paying him right now. Today started up. I don't care what happened to girl. Watch what's about to happen over here? I care what happened early? Yeah, watch what's about to happen? What I mean, we don't know, We don't know for sure,

but like what I mean? What if? What if Gurley can't finish this contract or even come close by? Not? But what was Why was Gurley the eleventh pick overall? Anyways? He did have injury problems and Zeke has had none. He's never missed a game due to injury. Knocking it no, I know, no honest, I mean, don't bring the table.

It gives me pause. Just again. And if if you're gonna pay your quarterback the mouth damn the amount of money that we are talking about, that's how you offset that, is you draft running backs at a discount to offset the cost. Did you pay offensive lineman so you didn't have to pay running back. I mean you would think and let's say, oh, what was that little low let's be head tilt there, What was that all about? They

drafted this guy. They drafted this guy to get Tony Romo over the hump, no question, that's what they did. And we were everybody, Now, WHOA, that's not a bad That was not a bad pick, right, No, And I'm not criticizing the pick. I was a percent on board with Zeke. I think the world of Zeke, and honestly, Oh, Ramsey, go back and listen to it. I think I do. I've listened to eighteen hours. Can listen to it. I drove the Zeke train for three months. I don't want

to hear it. I was there. Yeah, Taylor was too. That's that's my point. Everyone that works here was on board with it, and I still am, like, I think the world of Zeke. He's he's a great player. Can tell me right now. I could draft a running back, right you could, but I would honestly a second round one in earlier if I could, If if I just could have it the way I wanted and negotiations weren't part of it, I would sign into a four year extension. Right now, you have him under control for six more

years he comes out of the deal. I think he's twenty four right now. He wouldn't you know, he wouldn't even be thirty when the deal was over. I at least twenty five Bells twenty seven, David Johnson's twenty eight, ze twenty seven. Zeke's age and his durability make me okay with doing that type of deal. He took a beating, She's right, though, Yeah, he took a beating. Thirteen million dollars a year. Taking a beating like that, it's it's scary. And that's if there's a if. Just I slot him

like last. And I hate to say that because I think he's a great, great player, but behind him But wait, wait, listening to you guys talk, you sound like you're more on board of him being the first guy next to get signed. But that's I mean, yeah, you thought you slip Nick, who was gonna No, No, Zeke's gonna be him. In my pick, we're gonna do this later today. A gut feeling on which guy should be done first. But but I think that the the weird one here is is a Mari, because I think A Mari's a guy

that you could give a longer deal to. It would work, and it would work. And then that's gonna stretch it out and he's not gonna he's not gonna count as much. I mean, it'll look like you will if you stretch it out seven or eight years. How many times is the cap gonna go up in that time? A lot? Twice? Three? Yeah, you can sound more sure about signing this runner than anything I want to. I think start that clock right now with Zeke. The Runner is the most proven commodity.

It's also the least value we're proven than the court. Then they then cooper, right, get me to twenty eight years old for him? How old is he twenty four? I think he's twenty four. Can you just look it up? Twenty four? How about that? Okay, yeah, twenty get me through when you know his season when he's twenty eight, and then after that we'll see. Also, you know, I feel like another you know people brought this up yesterday, is like why is why is he getting pushed to

the back burner. Why isn't anybody talking about Zeke? Well, he's got two years left. They have a fifth year option on him. They will exercise it barring something insane. And then the reason this came up in the first size, well, the reason this came he's the one guy that would sit on you. Word surfaced in January that his camp was wanting a new MP if if he just if that's something he decides to do, we'll revisit it then. But I haven't heard anything about that since the playoffs.

I haven't. It hasn't been suggested. I've seen him here at the facility. He was at the MAVs game with all of his teammates last night. He's not acting like a guy who's planning on sitting out. If that changes, then we can revisit that conversation. But until then, I'm just like, you're making good money. You were a top five pick. Like I'm willing to let that ride for the time being. That's how I feel. Pay him now, get it done. No, he's the one guy I would

feel absolutely comfortable. I'm like, just kind of how Tank said it last night, that's not my business. Get me my money, and you figure out the rest. Because obviously, like Stephen Jones, he mentioned the whole like, yeah, we have several guys that we need to take care of, and that's something that we bring up to the players, but at the end of the day, that's not the player's business or job is like the quarterback or the runner.

See here's the thing. Zeke is the one that, to me literally carried the whole offense in these three years. He's been the one for me doing basically everything. And they went three and five without Cooper last year while he was on the field. Okay, there are different there are other things that Okay, get him a good backup so he can rest a little bit. You look at other get him a good backup, poor guy, get him

beat up. I mean yes, the money the guy that you feel the most comfortable paying is the guy that gets the hell beat out of him every time he's on the field. That's why you can't do it now. And look, hey, I like that up with it three years. So if you get him a good backup, a decent backup, it doesn't have to be great. Just get him someone decent and he can rest a little bit. Rod Smith, was he decent? No? Okay, now we need to do better than Rod Smith. Right, Well, something happened to him

last year. I don't know why he went down. He'll I mean I had high holds for him. Get me a running back? Yeah, five eleven. You know we're gonna go get Justice Hill. Don't worry. But I mean, I'm not the draft X for here. You guys to study this way more than I do. But to me, and based on the time that I've been here and what I've been watching, I don't feel that getting a running

back that caliber is as easy as you make it sound. No, I understand, but Amber is asking me Nick to pay him pay the runner, and I have to use draft capital to go get a backup. Are Is that right? I mean, I think is that right? She's asking me to use she's asking me to pay him. But I also got to go use a premium pick because I got to go find a guy better than the guy premium. Where's premium I'm gonna use. I'm gonna use a third

round pick. I'm gonna use ninety on a back. If you bought a home, you have to buy insurance to protect your home. Yeah, and so your fourth round pick is your your third or fourth round pick is your insurance to protect the home, which is zeke. That's what you want, but you got to make sure you protect it and prolong it. They right, can get insured if you don't have a home in the first place. They're right over there. They're right about what they're saying right now.

But I keep thinking about what ag just said, which is that it's harder than we think to find good running backs. And I don't think that's true. I think it's pretty easy at the end of the day, in all honesty, like and that expand on that. Look, I mean, I can make your case. Well, Murray had the best year of his career. What happened after that? McFadden had the best year of his career in a long time.

What happened after that? We'll go go around the NFL like the I mean, Levion Bell was taken after Gavin Escobar. He was barely a top fifty pick. Philip Lindsay's a sensation in Denver. He was an undrafted free agent. Um, what would be the amount of years that you would say that these running backs have success, like their most success their first contract. Yeah, this, this to me very much is three or four years. Yeah, this is this is like if you are you are a guard, if

you are a generational talent. I mean Adrian Peterson was still balling out last year at the age of thirty whatever after missing a year in the league after an acl or an achilles whatever. It was like, it's doable, and Zeke is that talented. And for the second time on this show, I was completely on board with the pick. Yeah, but you're reenterating that a lot if I'm well, because I know how these things work. Because somebody hears me and they're like, oh, you hate Zeke, Like, no, I

don't hate Zeke. We're just talking this whole thing out. Yeah. If you remember Stephen Jones right after they drafted him that they basically said five years. Yeah, like five years and then we'll see what happened. Which I would. I would. I would extend him if if he wanted to do it to a and it would be better to do it now while he's still young and you can get away from the contract when he's only twenty six or twenty seven. That's fine, But I'm not trying to build

the long term future of this team around a running back. Period. That's the quarterback converts the other like the other car he run in every game he tried. Yeah, you get the window, the windows here? You do? This is it? This is the time that I don't think, and and and but that's again. If if he doesn't show off the training camp, we can reopen this conversation. But he's under contract for two years, so he's here for the window. I just think I might sit if Jared McKinney was

was making more than me. Yeah, I mean question when when will you say about thirty one year old Lastaun McCoy making more than me? Yeah? Which you know if that if it comes to that, Lamar Miller making more than me? Right now I'm wondering, like they're enjoying their money. And then meanwhile, Zeke is just in a in a tub full of ice, recovering from all the beatings. Uh? Are we setting are we setting ourselves up for like a like? I mean the offseason program starts on Monday. Yeah,

we're gonna are we setting ourselves up for? Like? Well, Zeke's not here. He's been out here for the I shouldn't say that he'll be here. He's he's been at the facility. I've seen him around a breakfast. Guys who guys who were holding out are typically not going to MAVs games with their teammates in my experience, or showing up for captain's workout. Yeah, I think that got somebody will upset the defensive end. Yeah, it's should have done that. It's okay, all right, it's all right. But if that,

if that comes to pass week we I'll revisit this conversation. Yeah. Until then, Until then, it's really guys. Thank you. Dropt show tomorrow four four o'clock periscope drop show. I see I saw a lot of people asking what now? Were those the priority change in the trust a m Until then, Yes, it has been a good time with you guys. Thank you, Brian, thank you Nick, David Hellman, I remember you see. This has been the break on Dallas Cowers dot com Radio.

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