Poll: Does lack of initial free agency activity push you against a Dak Prescott extension?

The Cowboys missed out on the initial wave of free agency which begs the question… what is the point of saving money now?

The initial wave of free agency has come and gone. It may have only been the legal tampering period, but for the most part the big names have all found homes whether new or where they started.

If you have been following the Dallas Cowboys for some time you know that their lack of activity (you can track everything they are doing right here) is not exactly a surprise. This does not justify their actions, solace is not found in predictable nothingness.

But what’s done is done and we can only evaluate the situation at hand as it continually develops, and with the day now behind us we know the Cowboys will not be early spenders in free agency (I recognize some of you will say that you knew that).

This means we have to have a new conversation. Again, new for some.

Does the lack of initial free agency activity make you against a Dak Prescott extension?

To be clear here and now it is my opinion that the Dallas Cowboys should extend Dak Prescott to ensure that he is their quarterback for the foreseeable future; however, we are having conversations as a result of new context and this one is worth having.

Also we should acknowledge that there was/is a camp of people already against an extension for QB1. We are all curious for your thoughts as we move on here, but given your previous stance we know how you feel already.

If you are someone who believes that Prescott should be extended, does the lack of activity early on in free agency at all dissuade you? Let’s look at some facts.

• Mike McCarthy is entering a contract year
• As is most of the staff, including the newly-hired Mike Zimmer
• Obviously so is Dak Prescott, with the no-tag and no-trade stuff to boot
• At the moment so is CeeDee Lamb, although we assume that will be taken care of

It is certainly not hard to close your eyes and see the 2024 season going poorly for this team. And if it does it stands to reason that a the proverbial reset button will be hit.

Even if extending Prescott is considered in the best interest of this team, it is fair to say that a new head coach deserves their say in who the franchise quarterback is. 2025 will be Prescott’s age 32 season and the non-McCarthy skipper (presuming that reality unfolds) should make the determination if that is the path that they want to pursue.

Obviously most of that is unknown and can even be rendered moot if Prescott is signed to an extension at any point in the near future, even if it comes at some point like training camp. But beyond ensuring that Prescott would be around for the future, one of the primary reasons that so many (myself included) have been arguing for his extension was the salary cap relief that it would provide in the here and now. With the initial wave of free agency gone, that is effectively no longer the case (obviously free agency is not completely over).

As Monday unfolded, NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported throughout the day and provided recent updates on the Prescott situation. Obviously nothing has changed or happened, but that this was the situation on Monday is the point.

One of the things Slater noted was that Prescott could bet on himself and simply play the 2024 season in a contract year (she referenced how he bet on himself before in her tweet). Given that doing so would set Dak up to reach true free agency and a potentially all-time historic payday, there is legitimate merit to him doing that. If the Cowboys want to secure his services and eliminate that opportunity they have to overwhelm him in the here and now with an offer. That is the way business works.

But again, with the opportunity to seriously utilize the salary cap space that could have been had by way of an extension (or even a restructure!) the main point in that has now gone in the wind. There is an argument to be made that Dallas should simply ride this out now and minimize the salary cap impact that Prescott will have on the 2025 season if he is wearing a different uniform.

If you were pro-extension for Dak Prescott on Monday morning, are you now more willing to not do it since one of the main benefits of it is no longer valid?