Cowboys News: Prescott’s price, Wilson trade whispers, Cousins’s advice

The volume surrounding Dak Prescott’s contract situation is getting exponentially louder by the day. A league insider has floated a dollar figure that he thinks the club will have to hit in order to get Prescott to put pen to paper. Another of the league’s premier passers has expressed frustration with his current club, so Las Vegas is already running odds on whether Dallas swings a deal for him to replace Prescott. Three-time champion Troy Aikman weighs in with his thoughts, and Kirk Cousins has resumed telling Prescott to let the tag just happen. Oh, and one major outlet is imagining Dak in teal.

In non-Prescott news, we’re exploring the it’s-time-for-Tyron-Smith-to-go mindset, we’re looking at free agent possibilities at cornerback (two big-time names) and defensive tackle (five potential fits), we’re scouting draft prospects, we’re deciphering what the Cowboys can learn from this year’s Super Bowl teams, and we’re forecasting the future for Blake Jarwin after his lost 2020 season. All that, plus Jerry Jones opens up the team’s home stadium for COVID vaccines, a profile of a Cowboys legend from the past, and one of last season’s bright spots… at the punter position. Here are the News and Notes.

NFL Insider: Cowboys need to offer Dak Prescott around $40 million per year to get deal done :: 105.3 The Fan

Link The latest contestant on Let's Make a Dak Deal is Michael Lombardi. The league insider told 105.3 The Fan that he believes the Cowboys will need to present Prescott with an offer "in the $40 million-per-year range" in order to get a deal done with his agent Todd France. Of course, there are both short-term and long-term considerations that both Prescott and the club will have to consider.

Virtual Radio Row: Troy Aikman talks Dak Prescott and if the Cowboys can be contenders next year :: USA Today

Link Cowboys legend Troy Aikman went on USA Today's virtual radio show and discussed Dak Prescott's future, weighed the expectations for Dallas in 2021, and gave the inside scoop on his Super Bowl ad appearance with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. Watch the full video to hear what Aikman had to say.

Raiders, Cowboys favorites to trade for Russell Wilson :: Fansided

Link Seattle's Russell Wilson may be jumping on the quarterback carousel, and Dallas, very much in the middle of a quarterback controversy, is already being eyed as a potential landing spot. With rumors of a trade demand being attributed to the newly-named Walter Payton Man of the Year, Vegas oddsmakers BetOnline have tabbed the Cowboys as heavy favorites (second only to the Raiders) to swing a deal for his services.

Kirk Cousins’ contract advice to Dak Prescott: Franchise tag can be your friend :: ProFootballTalk

Link The Vikings quarterback told Prescott to embrace the franchise tag back in 2019. He retold the story and explained his stance to Trey Wingo in May of 2020. Now he's sticking by his position as Prescott looks to perhaps get tagged for the second time. "I think he’s in a great spot now," he told PFTPM last week. "Everybody knows he can play, and he's an elite quarterback. Really, the ball is more in the court of the Cowboys and what they want to do going forward." Cousins parlayed his two Washington tags into a truckload of money from Minnesota in 2018.

Why the rush to replace Tyron Smith on Cowboys OL? :: Cowboys Wire

Link Our own K.D. Drummond takes on Tyron in the Catch This Fade Morning Minute, digging into the apparent eagerness of much of the fanbase to move on from the ten-year veteran.

Dallas Cowboys: 5 free agent defensive tackles to target :: Sports Dallas Fort-Worth

Link Reid Hanson explores the possible solutions at defensive tackle for the Cowboys in free agency. Dalvin Tomlinson from the Giants is the first on the list, fitting a 1-tech role. With losses at the position and upcoming free agents, defensive tackle is important for Dallas, especially after giving up so many yards on the ground in 2020.

Mock Roundup: These 8 prospects picked for Dallas :: The Mothership

Link With the offseason starting up, the Cowboys will begin to decide who they will look to take in the 2021 NFL Draft. Writers put together a list of possible picks Dallas could make with the 10th overall selection. The list includes Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain, and Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley.

Patrick Peterson should be priority number one for the Cowboys in free agency (besides their QB) :: Blogging the Boys

Link With multiple cornerbacks going to free agency for Dallas, eight-time Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson could be a good fit for the Cowboys, who will need physical corners to thrive in Dan Quinn's defense. Peterson and the Cardinals are parting ways in 2021, so he will be a coveted free agent who the Cowboys could seek to plug in across from Trevon Diggs.

Top 50 NFL free agents in 2021: Best team fits for Dak Prescott, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Bud Dupree, more :: ESPN

Link Speaking of best fits, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler did a little matchmaking of his own. He thinks Seattle's Shaquill Griffin is the cornerback the Cowboys should pursue. But it could be a costly courtship: "Defensive back should be a top priority for Dallas, and Griffin is considered the top outside corner on the market. He can cover and is a willing tackler. Seattle will try to keep him." For what it's worth, the list also says Dak Prescott would be an especially attractive option for coach Matt Rhule's Panthers, even though it's highly unlikely the Cowboys will let Prescott hit the open market.

What's Next For TE: What "Jaws'" return means :: The Mothership

Link Cowboys tight end Blake Jarwin went down with a tear in his right knee after just twenty-five snaps in 2020 and didn't return. In his absence, the Cowboys looked to Dalton Schultz, who improved throughout the season as a pass-catcher. Rob Phillips describes what this means for the Cowboys offense in 2021 and how having two starting-caliber tight ends would be a good problem.

How the Dallas Cowboys can use Super Bowl LV to go from pretenders to contenders :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Link What can the Cowboys learn from having watched the Chiefs and Bucs tussle for the trophy on Sunday? Sign Dak, yes. Beef up the defense, of course. Beyond that, "be ego-less, creative, and willing to change." That may mean- gasp- once again placing an emphasis on the safety position. Looking at you, Juan Thornhill (Chiefs) and Antoine Winfield (Buccaneers).

Cowboys’ CB Maurice Canady could compete for a starting job in 2021 :: Inside the Star

Link Cowboys cornerback Maurice Canady opted out of the season in 2020 but is a name that will stay relevant for 2021. With the one-year contract being moved to the 2021 season, he will be on the roster for Dallas. Fitting Dan Quinn's prototype at the outside corner, Canady could be a perfect fit and compete for playing time.

Cowboys' original Big Cat: Rayfield Wright's winding road to Canton and beyond :: Cowboys Wire

Link Cowboys Wire's Stars of the Cowboys' Past series continues with the only offensive lineman in franchise history to make the Ring of Honor. Dive in for a look at Rayfield Wright's improbable rise from backup tight end to a Hall of Fame tackle, and see how his years battling the era's nastiest pass rushers has led to a different kind of fight against a far more sinister opponent.

Cowboys' home stadium to be used as COVID-19 vaccination site :: Michael Gehlken (Twitter)

https://twitter.com/GehlkenNFL/status/1359548432021655555

Progress Report: A nice surprise in Niswander :: The Mothership

Link Punter alert! Team staff writer David Helman says to never mind that awful fake punt attempt against Washington during the Thanksgiving disaster; the atrocious play call wasn't Hunter Niswander's fault. Instead, fans should focus on what a nice upgrade the would-be XFL first-year punter was over Chris Jones, even if it was in limited action.

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