Dak Prescott reportedly wants top money, Cowboys will “heat up” negotiations soon

Priority one. That’s what Stephen Jones has said about the need to sign free agent quarterback Dak Prescott this offseason. Everything the Cowboys are trying to accomplish going forward hinges on getting Prescott signed to a long-term deal. You can bet Mike McCarthy took this job under the notion that Prescott would be under center. The Cowboys front office and Dak Prescott both seen to think a deal will happen, yet, so far, a deal hasn’t happened.

Maybe that will change soon. Stephen Jones spoke about the need for a deal and how the negotiations are about to heat up.

“We want to get this done,” Jones said Thursday. “Things are fixing to heat up. We want to put every foot forward and try to grind this out and get a deal done.”

“I know he wants to get his contract in the rear view mirror and we want it too,” Jones said. “We want him to be treated well, financially and respectfully. We are going to have a real urgency to get this done.”

For those wondering, the Cowboys have yet to start negotiations with any of their current free agents. So it’s not like they are trying to work out a deal with another player while not talking to Prescott. Apparently, he really is priority one.

There is also talk about the two sides coming close to a deal that would have been worth around $33 million a year last September, but Prescott’s side asked for more.

“I don’t want to get into the details, but we have offered him significant money,” Jones said. “The money we have offered Dak no matter how you look at it would put him as a top five quarterback in the NFL. That is the way we feel about him. He is one of the best.”

As we noted before, it’s likely that Prescott is asking for Russell Wilson money, which is $35 million a year on average and the highest annual contract value in the league. According to sources around the negotiations, that is what Prescott is asking for.

On Feb 25th, the franchise tag is available for application. That is something that the Cowboys would like to avoid using because there has already been talk that Prescott might stay away from offseason activities if that happens. Those activities commence on April 6th, and with a new coaching regime, it’s more important than ever that Prescott be at those activities.