Dak Prescott Contract, Biggest Offseason Decisions for Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are at a crossroads heading into the 2021 offseason. Dak Prescott's contract looms large once again but, as their 6-10 campaign showed, there are plenty of other big decisions that will have to be made. 

Prescott and the team went back-and-forth on a long-term contract last offseason before ultimately giving him the franchise tag. The quarterback was playing well through four games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5. 

That injury only makes things more complicated as the two parties return to the negotiating table while the 27-year-old rehabs to come back next year. 

The Cowboys were 1-3 with Prescott putting up video-game numbers in his four full starts. However, the problems in Mike McCarthy's first year went beyond quarterback and included a porous defense on all three levels and a faulty offensive line. 

Here are some of the biggest decisions the Cowboys are going to have to make in addressing those concerns and trying to be much more competitive in 2021. 

Prescott's Contract

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How the franchise moves forward with Prescott is the most important element of the offseason. It's going to impact the team's contention timeline, cap flexibility in re-signing other players and even how they approach the draft. 

Making the decision on the signal-caller is a complex one, though. He is 42-27 as the starter in Dallas and was coming off his best season when he was injured. If he did hit the free-agent market, there would be plenty of teams lining up for his services. 

However, there's inherent risk in signing him at this point. In Prescott's five seasons with the Cowboys, they've only managed to win one playoff game; and coming off a serious injury, it's hard to know how effective he will be. 

For a team that is projected to have around $20 million in effective cap space, per Over the Cap, it's a bold all-in move to commit big money to the Mississippi State product. 

Given what the offense looked like without him, though, it's likely worth it. 

If the Cowboys decide to franchise-tag him a second time, it would cost $37.7 million for the year. That alone puts them in a position where they will have to get creative with the contracts they currently have. 

Giving him a long-term deal isn't likely to keep that number down. His projected market value from Spotrac is $37 million per year. That's without even addressing the plethora of holes on the defensive side of the ball or building offensive-line depth. 

What to Do with the No. 10 Pick

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Given the Cowboys' financial woes heading into this offseason, their best opportunity to add a difference-maker to the roster lies with the No. 10 pick. 

Bleacher Report's post-regular season mock draft has Dallas taking Northwestern's Rashawn Slater, an offensive tackle who could be the heir apparent to Tyron Smith. The mock draft database says the most common selection for Dallas is Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley. 

Either one would address a pressing need, but the draft is one of the most unpredictable things on the NFL calendar. We are just starting draft season in earnest, and those projections are likely to change from now until April. 

What won't change is that the Cowboys have several needs that could be resolved. A cornerback or offensive tackle would be great, but there are arguments to be made for linebacker, edge-defender or even quarterback if the Prescott saga isn't resolved by then. 

There's an argument to be made for trading down if possible as well. The Cowboys don't have a bountiful crop of picks. They own one pick in each round, bar the fifth where they have no selections. For a team that will be looking to add cheap contracts to the payroll, there's something to be said for collecting a few more picks. 

This is one of the team's only opportunities to add a blue-chip player. Who they ultimately decide to take, or even if they opt to trade down, will have major ramifications in 2021 and beyond.

Which Defensive Players Will Be Re-Signed?

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Given the porous defense last season, there aren't a whole lot of free agents that fans will lose too much sleep over losing in 2021. However, they still have to put 11 players on the field next season, and that means someone from their batch of free agents is likely coming back. 

They won't be able to afford to bring all of them back, but defensive end Aldon Smith, cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and Chidobe Awuzie, as well as safety Xavier Woods, are all set to hit the market. 

The Vikings should be a cautionary tale about letting several defensive backs walk. They watched Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes and Mackensie Alexander all leave last offseason. Even though they struggled in 2019, the result was a defense that ranked 30th in yards allowed per pass attempt. 

The Cowboys' secondary was at least better than that this season, but allowing a mass exodus of established talent won't result in a better unit next season. Instead, they'll need to decide which one of those players might experience a better season in new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's system. 

Smith proved to be a valuable commodity in his first season since 2015. He had five sacks and 20 total pressures this season, per PFF. 

Awuzie is worth consideration as well. His PFF grade dropped over 20 points from 2019 to 2020. He didn't just forget how to play cornerback, he had a bad season. At 25 years old, there's a good chance he bounces back in a fresh start with Quinn at the helm of the defense. 

The Cowboys don't have the resources to rebuild the defense from scratch. They are going to need to rely on the coaching staff improving what is already on the roster more than remaking the team. That means likely being forced to bring back some pieces who may be a bit cheaper given their struggles in 2020.