Cowboys VP McClay Talks Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper Contracts Before Free Agency

Dallas Cowboys Vice President of Player Personnel Will McClay acknowledged the difficulty the team will have retaining its best players, most notably Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper.

"We expect Dak to be our quarterback," McClay said Wednesday, per USA Today's Jori Epstein. "If the owner/GM says we're going to get it done, he signs the checks. So we'll get that done."

He went on to explain the issues presented by the NFL's salary cap: "It's going to be a tough deal. It's the NFL. You have your quarterback you have to pay, you have a receiver, you have good players. And when you have good players, you have to figure out how to pay them or how to survive."

Epstein added the general belief is the Cowboys will re-sign Prescott and Cooper this offseason.

Prescott threw for 4,902 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2019, and Football Outsiders ranked him first in DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement).

Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones told reporters Tuesday the team considers re-signing Prescott "urgent" and its "No. 1 priority."

Dallas could use the franchise tag on Prescott should it reach an impasse in negotiations, but that would come with some potential pitfalls.

For one, that would preclude the Cowboys from tagging Cooper, the best free-agent receiver. He set career highs in receiving yards (1,189) and receiving touchdowns (eight) in his first full season with the Cowboys.

Dallas is projected to have $81 million available to spend, per Over the Cap. More than 40 percent of that could be tied to Prescott's franchise tag, leaving the front office in a tough position to match Cooper's best offer on the open market.

The other problem for the Cowboys is that an extension for Prescott would only become more expensive down the road should he continue playing like he did this past season.

The Washington Redskins painted themselves into a corner with Kirk Cousins by continually failing to meet his asking price and instead using the franchise tag to keep him. The same could happen with Prescott.