Cowboys' Dak Prescott 'Pretty Sure' DAL Will Value His Opinion on Personnel Decisions

As the Dallas Cowboys look to build on their NFC East-winning 2021 season, Dak Prescott says he hopes the team will consult him on personnel choices. 

“I think that just depends on whether they ask me,” Prescott told Jori Epstein of USA Today. “I’m not going in and knocking on doors saying, ‘Hey, I want this done, I want that done.’ But I’m pretty sure that my opinion will be valued in certain decisions, as I hope. So with that being said, just plan on helping this team get better in every which way I can.”

The Cowboys are slated to be $21.5 million over the cap, which means their first order of business will be restructuring contracts across the roster. Prescott can save Dallas $15.2 million with a restructured deal, and the team will also likely approach Amari Cooper ($12.6 million in savings) and DeMarcus Lawrence ($11.9 million) in hopes they'll restructure their contracts.

Wide receiver Michael Gallup, tight end Dalton Schultz, defensive end Randy Gregory and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch are among the Cowboys' top players hitting the free-agent market.

Gallup seems like a lock to leave for a larger role in free agency, but Schultz stands out as someone Prescott would almost certainly prefer the team retains. The tight end recorded a career-high 78 receptions for 808 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021, becoming Prescott's favorite checkdown valve. 

The Cowboys have seven 2022 draft picks, so they'll have options in finding some cost-controlled prospects to fill in depth needs. They hit a home run last year with linebacker Micah Parsons and could look to continue fortifying their defense in Round 1, with safety and linebacker standing out as target areas.

Prescott may also wind up being consulted on the long-term future of Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas. The running back has been significantly slowed over the last two seasons, and his contract is becoming an albatross—particularly as Tony Pollard continues emerging as a lower cost, more effective option.

---

Salary-cap info via Over the Cap.