It would be fun to see him get to play to his full potential
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If I'm dak, I DEFINITELY want out:
Dallas was loaded, but poor coaching meant they won nothing. Then they paid the wrong people (coop the only one they should have paid) and made another bad hire. Now they're staring at rebuilding on D, rebuilding on OL, and rebuilding at coaching all while having several dead weight contracts holding them back (Lawrence's cap his is massive the next 3 years and he gives them nothing). I dont' see them winning anything of note for the 4 years Dak cares about.
Now, if I'm Dallas, I 1) tank, 2) sign Dak, 3) trade my pick back/for next year, 4) restructure my roster so I can build a new one after next season. But Jerry will probably go "yo this division is so bad we can trade a 2nd and a 4th round pick for name here QB, and we can make the playoffs!" only to go 6-10 and make nothing, then Tag Dak again, miss the playoffs again while getting a mid round draft spot, and then Dak leaves leaving them with terrible contracts, no QB, no high pick to get a QB, and no picks to build the rest of the roster. Oh, and Jerry will mess up the next hire too
Zeke's a bit of a strange individual, and he's paid too much, but I don't think he's exactly unproductive. He's just not up to par with his salary. That said, I don't get to see Dallas play very much with Atlanta and Nashville being within spitting distance and their games are always carried locally, so I rarely get to see Zeke much. Maybe he's regressed.
This. They were stupid to not sign Dak for market when they had the chance. Now if I'm him, and looking at how they've been handicapped by bad contracts, I'm not sure I'm interested. Even if he were to now give a "home" town discount, it wouldn't allow the cowboys to build a winner, it'd just offset some of the stupid mistakes they've made. If I'm Dak, I want top of market to offset playing for a dysfunctional franchise, or I'd make them franchise me again and wait until I can choose a team that is a QB away (or at least has competent management) to get into a long term contract with.
I read an article talking about how they can't afford to tag him again. Due to the revenue drop, they have to sign him long term to spread out the cap hit or let him go. They would have to trade for cap space is the only way to tag him again. His tag goes up to around $39 Mil if they tag him again.
Even better, as long as other teams aren't spooked by his injury. I wonder if this injury will change his thought process on negotiations. If it could really meaningfully reduce the wear and tear on my body, if I were him, I'd consider signing for a discount with the understanding that the team I signed with would spend money and/or draft picks on OL and that I'd sit out if/when they tried to skimp. Not sure that really would reduce the wear and tear though.
Well if dak does hit FA, who are the suitors? Chicago, Jacksonville, Denver, Washington, New England, Indianapolis? I don't know all teams' financials, but Saints are definitely out... ton of dead money from brees contract next year.
Man the more I think about this the more hopeless it becomes. Tyrone Smith is retiring soon and will need a 1st/2nd round pick to replace him, but he's always hurt and so is worthless if you try to trade him. DLaw has one of the worst contracts in football given his production, you cant give him away. So the only way they can get a pass rusher is to draft one so you don't have to pay him much, again a 1st/2nd round pick is required. Can't trade Zeke- who want a 15M a year RB that produces like a 3rd round rookie? Not to mention his off field issues and ego and the fact he is only going to get worse as he gets older...
That leaves Cooper (who's paid a lot so isn't going to fetch a ton if you trade him), Smith (same story as Cooper) Gallup, and LVE as the only talented guys you can trade. But you'd need to replace them via the draft, + get interior OL help, +DT, +Safety, +CB... you just can't get that if you trade the above, even in you hit on everyone you drafted. And this plan is still 3-4 years before those new guys will be in place and not rookies themselves, and the next year's drafted guys will have theri contracts run out before the god awful contracts run out so you still can't really keep the next round of talent
I think some of you are undervaluing what it means to be QB1 for one of the most popular sports franchises on earth. Go to Jacksonville, Detroit, Buffalo, etc., and unless he wins a Super Bowl, he will toil in relative obscurity giving up tons of endorsement dollars, popularity and marketability as a sports personality after retirement.
Romo's popularity has grown since retirement and he never won anything, had he played in Jacksonville, he wouldn't have near the career he has now.
That's all true, but at the same time, Dak is going to make $100M on his next deal. He may want the chance to win more than extra endorsements.
As far Romo's post playing career, he needed to play for Dallas to do that. I don't think Dak will need that. It will help, but I think people will be beating down his door regardless as long as he continues to be reasonably successful just because of his personality. And then there's the x-factor, where winning championships for any franchise will I think do more for him than first round exits with a perpetually mismanaged dallas.