The Dallas Cowboys are a good football team. They’ve come off two consecutive 12-win seasons, and many are expecting big things this year. The front office has faced some difficult contracting decisions in recent years, and this has resulted in some veterans from the past leaving the team. Players like Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Randy Gregory, Lyle Collins and Dalton Schultz have left Dallas over the past 14 months.
While some are gone, new talent has arrived. With great draft picks that include CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, Micah Parsons, and even Tyler Smith, the Cowboys are willing to keep this ball rolling. However, time is running out again on some of the seasoned players. Does this mean that the window of opportunity is running out?
Today, we’ll look at the contracts of 14 of the most important veteran Cowboys players and learn if there’s a sense of urgency to win now or if the future still looks bright for this team.
On Friday, Rabblerousr and I reviewed these contracts in the latest episode of The Star Seminar, so be sure to check out!
Four of the Cowboys’ starting linebackers are in the final year of their contract, including three players on the offensive line. Four more contracts expire the following year. Below is a breakdown of the nodes for the important starters of the attack, Courtesy of Spottrack.
As you can see, the Cowboys have a few questions along the offensive line. They drafted Tyler Smith last year, so they’ll have four more years of player control with him, but outside of that, it gets a little dicey.
He will likely return
We know the Cowboys are committed to Dak Prescott and it’s only a matter of when and how much that looming third contract will look like. We know it’s going to be a lucrative deal and something the front office is going to have to deal with financially when it comes to balancing the books and keeping enough talent around it.
Terrence Steele was slapped with a second-round bid this season giving him his first pay raise. Despite being an undrafted free agent in 2020, he has developed into a fine tackle and it would be strange to see the team let him go. Expect a contract extension soon for Steele.
The Cowboys exercised a fifth year option in CeeDee Lamb which is just a prelude to their interests in keeping him long term.
Who’s on their way out
An aging cowboy might end his current deal and call it quits. This seems very likely for Tyron Smith who has struggled to stay healthy for several years now. The story of Zach Martin could be different. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him sign a short-term extension if the veteran is about to stay a little longer. He still plays at a high level and has a solid resume of durability, but a lot could change two years from now.
We suspect Brandin Cooks has a two-year lease. With an upcoming extension for Lamb and money invested in Michael Gallup, it will be hard to see them throw extra money at wide receiver. The Cowboys didn’t use an early resource at receiver, so they still have a lot of questions outside of their major three.
Who remains a question mark
The Cowboys put the franchise tag on Tony Pollard and released Ezekiel Elliott. However, they only used sixth-round draft resources on a run-in with Deuce Vaughn, meaning they don’t have any definitive answers outside of Pollard.
Another big question is the Tyler Biadache Center. Last year, some thought he could be replaced by Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, and the Cowboys had the opportunity to recruit him, but they passed in favor of Tyler Smith. It turns out that’s great for two reasons. First, Smith became a future star in this league, but second, Biadash just kept getting better. In fact, he won Pro Bowl Honors last season. The Cowboys would love to keep the player they once traded for, but it won’t come cheap.
Recently, the Cowboys have reinvested in some of their key linebackers, but they still have several minor players who are in the final year of their contracts. Below are the contracts of key defensive players Courtesy of Spottrack.
High school is a big one in Dallas. Not only are the three aforementioned players in the final year of their deals, but the same goes for two of the other players, Malik Hooker and Jordan Lewis. They re-signed Donovan Wilson this offseason and have second year cornerback DaRon Bland under player control for the next three years, so it’s not all bad. Plus, they have a little corner that’s about to get paid, which brings us to…
likely to stay
We’re all expecting Trayvon Diggs to get a contract extension. From the moment he was robbed in the second round of the 2020 draft, he’s been overreacting. His 11 interceptions, his All-Pro season in 2021 was a spectacle he followed with another Pro Bowl season last year. If the Cowboys don’t extend him before the start of the season, there’s a good chance he’ll hit the franchise tag next year.
Micah Parsons will also get a huge second contract, but that’s still a long way off, especially when you factor in that fifth-year option that the Cowboys will inevitably have.
Who’s on their way out
With the money coming to Diggs, the foregoing conclusion seems to be that Stephon Gilmore is here as a one-year lease. There is a small chance he will return in a friendly deal with the team outside next season, but we will have to wait and see.
DeMarcus Lawrence took a small pay cut/extension to stay in Dallas last season, and it worked for both sides. With up-and-coming talent like Sam Williams on the roster and the team’s continued success in finding low-cost veteran depth (Dante Fowler this time), the most likely outcome is for Tank to end his current deal and call it good.
Many thought the team wouldn’t keep Jayron Kearse after their breakout season in 2021, but the front office surprised us and signed him for two more years. Will it happen again next off season? With the investment in third-round pick DeMarvion Overshown, it already looks like the Cowboys are looking for Kearse’s replacement.
Who remains a question mark
Just when you think Leighton Vander Esch has played his last shot in Dallas, the Cowboys have surprised us by re-signing him. He’s been in control for another two years and with not a lot of proven options from the recently added young players, LVE remains ‘the guy’ at fullback. A lot can change in a couple of years with good players like Damone Clark and the previously mentioned Overhown in the squad, but until we see it, Vander Esch remains highly valued for the team.
summary
The opportunity now for the Cowboys is enormous. It’s full of talent and some of those staples will eventually wear off too soon. However, the Cowboys have proven themselves capable of replenishing talent. Just looking at the top stars on the team now, some of them haven’t been on the team for a few short years. in addition to, The Cowboys have rising/proven stars already in all five positionsand they are not going anywhere for a while.
Do they have a high chance of achieving something now? Yes.
Do they have a high chance of achieving something later? Yes too.