The Dallas Cowboys are willing to make each of their key offensive skill players among the highest-paid at their respective positions, and they are said to have made respectable offers to all three of them.
The Cowboys have made what they feel are “generous” contract offers to Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, according to Jane Slater of NFL Network. The long-term extension offers would reportedly place each of the players in the top five highest-paid at their positions.
Additionally, I’m told they’re ready and willing to get the deals done but if the two sides can’t agree on numbers that make more sense the #Cowboys are prepared to play this season with each player on a “prove it deal.” https://t.co/Grwlg3zTV4
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) August 6, 2019
Elliott is almost certainly seeking to become the highest-paid running back in football, and he can make a case for that after he averaged 4.7 yards per carry and scored 34 total touchdowns in his first three NFL seasons. He also racked up more than 2,000 total yards from scrimmage last year as the clear focal point of the Cowboys’ offense.
Determining the market value of Prescott and Cooper could be a bit more difficult, and paying them as top five players sounds more than reasonable. Cooper provided Dallas with a huge spark when they acquired him in a trade last season, catching 53 passes for 725 yards and six touchdowns in just nine games with the Cowboys. However, he’s not Michael Thomas, Julio Jones or Odell Beckham Jr.
Prescott is in a similar situation. While his career completion percentage of 66.1 and passer rating of 96.0 are above average, his rookie season in 2016 — when threw 23 touchdown passes compared to just four interceptions — was by far his best. Very few people would argue that he deserves to be paid like Aaron Rodgers.
While Prescott and Cooper are both entering contract years, Elliott seems like he is by far the most desperate for a new deal and is willing to go to extreme measures to get it. It may not be likely that the Cowboys will lock up all three players long-term before Week 1, but we wouldn’t rule it out.
