Cowboys negotiations with Dak Prescott take a big step forward

The old saying goes - it takes two to tango. Well, the Cowboys and Dak Prescott are officially tangoing. It was a few few weeks ago we learned that the Cowboys had presented an initial offer to Dak Prescott’s camp to open their negotiations on a new deal. In general, it’s thought that the deal will average at least $30 million a year, although Bill Barnwell predicted $32 million a year.

To get to some kind of agreement, the Prescott camp would need to enter the fray. According to Prescott, they have.

Dallas made the first offer. Prescott said Wednesday that his representatives have responded with a counterproposal.

”I can’t really say,” Prescott said when asked how close the proposals were. “It’s one from each side. This is my first time doing this. Ask me in a few years, and I’ll be able to tell you, ‘OK, we’ve sent this one and they’ve sent this one. We’re about to get it done.’ But as of right now, I’m learning the process, too, and just letting my team handle their business.”

Prescott is playing it cool and staying out of the mix, at least publicly. That’s exactly as he should do. At this point of the negotiations there is nothing to gain from commenting one way or the other. He surely believes he is worthy of a large payday, and there’s no shortage of observers who believe he is worthy, although Prescott surely has his detractors, too.

The Cowboys have already made it clear they will be signing Prescott to a new deal, if they didn’t they would have to start all over again either with a draft pick or a free agent, unless they’ve miraculously concluded Mike White or Cooper Rush are the real deal. That’s not something the team would really want to do with such a talented roster in place. So they are ride or die with Prescott, now they just need to work his contract into the mix with the other star players they need to sign.

One thing Prescott seems to have made clear is that he’s not about a discount contract; he’s been working under that for three years. Sounds like he wants what the market numbers say.

“I think when you look at numbers, I think a lot of it’s about the market,” Prescott said. “I don’t really pay attention to any of that. I come in and prove myself each and every day to these other guys in this locker room. That’s the only thing that I have to worry about.

”I know if I’m doing that and getting better, good things happen. That’s out of my focus. As I’ve said before, I’ve got a great team in place to handle that, and it will get done eventually.”

Now that the Prescott camp has responded to the Cowboys initial proposal, the game is truly afoot. It’s not a matter of if, just when.