Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper talks going as planned

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 05: Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 05: Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

What if I told you it was likely Jerry Jones who was delaying the negotiation process between the Dallas Cowboys and their soon-to-be free agents, Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper?

With Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper set to hit free agency, fans have been sitting on the edges of their seats since the Dallas Cowboys’ season concluded. Every morning involves a quick check of the news reel to see if progress has been made regarding the uncertain status of their offensive cornerstones.

Someone who’s not sweating it is the Dallas Cowboys front office. Jerry Jones, the figurehead of the Cowboys Empire, is a self-proclaimed master negotiator. The self-made oil tycoon has wheeled and dealed his way through life and wears the badge with pride. So when fans wake up each morning to discover there’s no news to report and things are going nowhere – just know this – it’s probably all going according to plan.

For as painful as it is to Cowboys Nation, the Dallas Cowboys appear to have done little to nothing the last 9+ months with Amari Cooper’s and Dak Prescott’s next deals. And it’s all according to plan.

when fans wake up each morning to discover there’s no news to report and things are going nowhere – just know this – it’s probably all going according to plan.

Last week we learned the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott spoke contract for the first time since September. That’s right. All of these days we’ve been tirelessly stressing about the progress of these deals and the Dallas Cowboys haven’t even been trying.

Why would that be? Because our Master Negotiator doesn’t work that way, that’s why. Jerry Jones, a little over a week ago, spoke with Dak’s side about a deal.

Here’s how he spoke of that meeting:

"“Don’t make anything of that, one way or another,” Jones said to reporters. “That’s not what counts. [What counts is] when you decide it’s time it’s time to make it work.”"

Jerry is a believer in 11th hour negotiating. Because, we presume, all you do before the deadline is give up ground. That’s why the Dallas Cowboys always seem to be unsettled in matters such as these.

Think about it – Every year after the draft, teams scramble to come to terms with their draft picks so they can get them under contract and into camp on time. Every year the Dallas Cowboys drag their feet. Half the rookies in the league usually sign before Dallas has even met with a single pick of theirs.

But you know what? It somehow works. Dallas usually always gets their rookies signed because they know the power of a ticking clock. They don’t waste time negotiating without some kind of pressure point in place.

Last season they tagged DeMarcus Lawrence and waited. Lawrence needed surgery before he could play again and refused to go under the knife until a deal was inked. Only when his recover time threatened to roll into the regular season did a deal get worked out. Deadlines.

More from Dallas Cowboys

While Cowboys Nation is collectively sweating bullets over the progress of these deals (or lack thereof) Jerry’s out there just playing the game the only way he knows how.

Whether this plan works out or blows up the Jones’ faces remains to be seen, but this is the way the Cowboys seem to be playing it and we might as well get used to it (frankly, we should already be used to it).

It’s tough to say when exactly things are going to get done between the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, but judging by the past, things will get done in a hurry but that won’t happen until the last possible moment. Just. As. Planned.

Next. In a WR rich draft, why re-sign veteran receiver Randall Cobb?. dark

Exceptions: There are some exceptions to this 11th hour rule, most notably with La’el Collins and Jaylon Smith last season. But those were abnormal situations where the player went to the team to proactively extend. Both players took below market value and both offered little resistance in negotiations.

  • Published on 03/09/2020 at 16:01 PM
  • Last updated at 03/09/2020 at 13:47 PM