5 players who Cowboys need to be great in 2020

1. Dak Prescott, QB

Jerry Jones has had to pay a high price for a few significant players recently. Written about in the last slide, Lawrence received his large deal.

Jaylon Smith signed a six-year deal worth over $68 million with roughly $35.4 million guaranteed. Later, Jones inked his superstar running back Ezekiel Elliott to a $90 million, six-year deal with over $50 million guaranteed. Then, this past offseason, Cooper signed his big contract to remain in Dallas.

However, there is one player from that core group who has not received a long-term deal: Dak Prescott.

Prescott’s contract has been highly discussed for months. Will he be the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL? Does he deserve that money? Does Jerry Jones believe in him? Where will he go if he leaves?

A lot of questions, and even more talking points. Prescott received the exclusive franchise tag, which would pay him about $33 million for 2020. Stephen Jones recently assured people that a long-term deal with Prescott will get done. But nothing has happened yet.

The former fourth-round pick needs to be great for himself to ensure he gets the contract he deserves if a new deal is not agreed upon before the season begins.

By doing so, he would be great for one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports, which would help solidify himself in team history.

If Prescott can build off his career year from 2019 and do even better in 2020, this team has a lot of potential to go deep into the playoffs. With Cooper, Lamb, Gallup and Elliott around him, he has no excuses to fail.

The NFL is a quarterback league. Without one, you simply do not compete. The Cowboys think they have their guy, but no new deal has been given yet.

Therefore, Prescott needs to be great to prove he is worth the deal if has plays under the tag and that he is long-term starter for the team. Playing well, competing for a Super Bowl and leading the Cowboys would check most of the boxes for the team.