Heading into their week 13 match up against the Baltimore Ravens on the road, the Dallas Cowboys sit at 3-8.
This game can play into a huge factor if they get a top 5 draft pick in next year’s NFL draft.
Now, with the NFC East division being weak as it is, the Cowboys still have a chance of coming back to win the division and secure a playoff spot but with their recent play, probably won’t happen. So let’s look ahead for a moment.
Their superstar quarterback Dak Prescott, 27, suffered an ankle fracture and ankle dislocation ruling him out for the rest of the 2020 season, which is his contract year before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Clearly, the Cowboys have the desire to resign Prescott sometime in the offseason.
The problem is they are already spending a lot of money on the offensive side this season and will do the same next year.
Star running back Ezekiel Elliot is set to make $13.7 million in the 2021season. But he isn’t the only one making over $12 million next season.
The Cowboys put in a lot of money to protect whoever the starting quarter back is in as guard Zack Martin, and tackles Tyron Smith and La’el Collins combine for $43,093,000 of the payroll alone for the 2021 season.
Smith leads the way with a $17, 018,000 salary for next season among the three offensive lineman.
As we keep talking offensive players, a $22 million payout will be spent on wide receiver Amari Cooper for the following four seasons.
No team would be willing to take on these contracts via trade unless the Cowboys agree to partially pay the respective player’s salary.
So what should Jerry Jones and the Cowboys front office do?
Well first of all, they should evaluate if Mike McCarthy is the right man to be the head coach of this talented team.
They should keep options open as Jim Harbaugh could be released of his duties as the Michigan Wolverines head coach who has NFL coaching experience with the San Fransisco 49ers, whom he led to a Super Bowl appearance.
As far as the Dak Prescott situation, let him walk free.
The Cowboys are currently projected at the no. 5 spot in the 2021NFL draft.
Assuming the New York Jets will draft quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars draft quarterback Justin Fields, the Cowboys have options to draft a solid quarterback and pay on the cheap for the first few years.
Kyle Trask of the Florida Gators would be the best option. As a sophomore with a new set of wide receivers who have taken over the previous receiving core that moved on to the NFL, he has done a fantastic job.
Through the first 8 games of his 2020 NCAA college football season, he threw for 22 “big-time” completions which eventually led him and his team to the SEC conference game against Alabama.
The point is if he can adapt to a new receiving core that he no familiarity with, just imagine what he can do with the loaded receiving core featuring Cooper, Cee Dee Lamb, and Michael Gallup with the mixture of Elliot’s running game.
The Cowboys can save the money to use on other crucial pieces to tighten up their defense and offense.
