NFL insider labels Cowboys "biggest gaslighters in the league", drops damning prediction for Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are coming off a disappointing season. They failed to capitalize on a good regular season and were blown out by the Green Bay Packers in the Wildcard Round.
Prescott wasn't offered a contract extension this offseason and will be a free agent next year. The franchise could lose him without getting anything in return, which is why the upcoming season is huge for both the Cowboys as well as the 30-year-old quarterback, who wants to raise his market value.
The Cowboys didn't make any big moves in the free agency and that left many surprised. Fox Sports analyst Carmen Vitali recently made an appearance on the Up & Adams Show, and she was quite critical of the Cowboys ahead of the new season. She said:
"The thing about the Cowboys is this is a monster of their own making. They're the biggest gas lighters... Cowboys are the biggest gas lighters in the league. Don't tell me you don't have cap space, you can make cap space at this point."
Vitali also mentioned how any other team in the league would have surrounded a quarterback like Prescott with more talent, but instead, the Cowboys lost several key players in the free agent.
"What do the Cowboys do? Tyron Smith is gone, Tyler Biadasz is gone, switching Tyler Smith over to tackle, he was an All-Pro guard last year. The only weapon that Dak Prescott has right now is CeeDee Lamb, there is nobody in that running back room..."
Dak Prescott is coming off a phenomenal season in which he threw for 4,516 yards, 36 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 17 games with a passer rating of 105.9. He is still among the top quarterbacks in the league, and although Prescott has underperformed in the playoffs, it will be tough to find an upgrade over him.
The Cowboys reportedly saved money in free agency to extend the contracts of players like Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb. However, that has left the team with some holes that they should address in the upcoming draft.
Dak Prescott contract: Did the Cowboys make the right decision by not offering an extension?
Dak Prescott will carry a cap hit of $55.4 million this upcoming season, and it was expected that the franchise would offer him a new deal to create more cap space. However, that hasn't happened, and now the quarterback will test the market next year.
Not offering an extension to Prescott this offseason might turn out to be a good decision for the Cowboys. It is expected that the three-time Pro Bowler will get a new deal worth close to $60 million annually, but the fact that there might not be many teams in the league looking for a quarterback next year may reduce the value of Prescott's new deal.
The majority of the teams already have their franchise quarterbacks, and the other teams will be drafting one in the upcoming draft. Apart from the Las Vegas Raiders or the Seattle Seahawks, it doesn't seem like any other team would be willing to spend money on a quarterback in next year's free agency.
This would allow the Dallas Cowboys to save some money, and get Prescott back on a cheaper deal compared to what they would have to pay this offseason.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit the Up & Adams Show and H/T Sportskeeda.