Two Dallas Cowboys defensive backs are in line for some pay raises in 2020

The finances of the 2020 Dallas Cowboys are a subject that has a lot of people very interested as spring begins to unfold. Whether or not the Cowboys are able to keep Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, and Byron Jones is something that remains to be seen, but there are other free agents that are due new deals as well. Things are going to get expensive quick.

As we are in the year 2020, that means that there are a handful of Cowboys that are now eligible for contract extensions. We’re of course talking about the players drafted in 2017 who due to their three years of service are now able to sign extensions if things worked out in that particular way.

So far the 2017 draft class doesn’t look too great

Dallas has already moved on from their first-round pick of 2017 as they released Taco Charlton a couple of games into last season. Of the nine players drafted by the Cowboys in 2017, there aren’t really any that have proven to be star quality. There are certainly some nice players, but nothing to get out of your seat about.

2017 Dallas Cowboys Draft Class

• 1st: Taco Charlton
• 2nd: Chidobe Awuzie
• 3rd: Jourdan Lewis
• 4th: Ryan Switzer
• 6th Xavier Woods
• 6th Marquez White
• 7th: Joey Ivie
• 7th: Noah Brown
• 7th: Jordan Carrell

As we approach the three-year anniversary of this draft its best players for the Cowboys are undoubtedly Jourdan Lewis and Xavier Woods with Chidobe Awuzie a bit behind them. Woods is a starter so there are many that would probably classify him as the best of the group, but a lot of why Lewis hasn’t experienced more was the coaching staff’s unwillingness to put him on the field. That’s not his fault.

Listen to our exclusive sit-down interview with Xavier Woods on Radio Row in Miami at Super Bowl LIV

Speaking of Woods and Lewis, they are two Cowboys that are now eligible to sign new deals with the club if they were to reach terms that they all like. The state of the secondary is one that is in flux as Byron Jones and Anthony Brown could be gone in free agency and the Cowboys have constantly been mocked as taking a safety with their first-round pick (17th overall).

Whatever ultimately does happen with Woods and Lewis, they are at the very least going to receive a raise of sorts in 2020. They have both met qualifications as far as playing time is concerned over their careers to this point and as a result they are cashing in. From ESPN’s Todd Archer:

Defensive backs Xavier Woods and Jourdan Lewis will receive raises of roughly $1.5 million in 2020 through the proven-performance escalator available to draft picks in Rounds 3-7. Since both played more than 35 percent of the snaps on average in their first three seasons, their base salary will jump to the original restricted free agent tender, which will be about $2.2 million this season.

Woods and Lewis each hitting this escalator certainly says that the Cowboys found something in later rounds (really late in Woods’ case) which is definitely a good thing; however, part of the reason why the team has had to depend on these later draft picks has been their defiance towards devoting more legitimate resources to the safety position as one example.

Hopefully as the money rises so too will the performance of the group overall. With no Kris Richard in charge the Cowboys secondary is going to look at the very least a little bit different in 2020, hopefully that’s in a positive way.