Dallas Cowboys: Contract Extensions vs Cap Space

There is a difference in spending and wasting cap space, and the Dallas Cowboys are looking to spend, not waste their money.

There has been a growing trend of fans not wanting to sign DeMarcus Lawrence, Dak Prescott, and even Ezekiel Elliott. The prime reasons for their sentiment is that none of them are worth the cap space, and they would rather have cap space. Here is the simple question, if you aren’t going to spend it on players like Lawrence, who will you spend it on? There is a line between spending and wasting cap space.

Looking back a few seasons ago, the Cowboys had almost no pass rush. Fans were clamoring for a pass rusher in the worst of ways. Fast forward to 2019, and the Cowboys have arguably one of the top 3 free agents in Demarcus Lawrence. Lawrence has been a force teams have had to game plan for. The time has come for a new contract, and all of a sudden fans are flinching at resigning him. If the Cowboys don’t pay him, someone will and the Cowboys will lose their best pass rusher.

Signing Lawrence is not a waste of cap space, unlike the previous seasons where the Cowboys got into bug contracts for average players. Lawrence is not an average player. Before you say to me, “Look at the Rams game,” I am going to tell you if that is your argument, please tell me how Aaron Donald did in the same game, go ahead, we will wait until you come back with both stat lines. Lawrence is someone you build with and around, without him the pass rush is anemic.

This brings us to Dak Prescott. I am not the biggest Dak fan on the planet, but finding a starting quarterback who can win games is not easy. If it were easy, then every season we would not see teams scrambling to find a recycle in free agency, or consistently grabbing ones in the draft. Just ask the Browns or Broncos how easy it is. The answer to who you start if Prescott isn’t here is not an easy answer. It isn’t the backup, it isn’t a guy off the streets, it isn’t a rookie in a mediocre class.

However, the Cowboys have another season to decide to resign Prescott. They could wait to see how he looks under a different offensive coordinator. If he performs, then the price tag will go up. Signing him now, is not a waste of cap space. He may not sign for the paltry sums many fans have thrown out, but he also won’t sign for what he could sign for next offseason.

Of the three names above, those against signing Elliott has the most valid argument. The league seems to be able to roll through running backs easier than some positions. Running backs tend to wear down faster than many positions simply due to the physical toll they take. However, players like Elliott do not come along often. You aren’t easily replacing Elliott with a guy in the third round, or through a committee. Not yet at least.