‘Passive’ Cowboys have strange way of showing they’re ‘all-in’ on Dak Prescott

The Dallas Cowboys' offseason of silence continues. Jerry Jones typically doesn't have any trouble making a splash, but winter passed with hardly a peep from the Cowboys' front office. There were moves made, of course — from Ezekiel Elliott's return all the way through extending long-snapper Trent Sieg — but nothing that feels particularly seismic or consequential.

That is a problem, of course, considering how last season ended for the Cowboys. A first-round loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card matchup was not what fans envisioned. Dak Prescott finished second in MVP voting and Micah Parsons finished third in DPOY voting, only for a young and spunky Packers team to send Dallas packing with an emphatic defeat.

Dan Quinn's mighty defense fell apart on the biggest stage (a frightfully common occurrence), then he took the Commanders job. Meanwhile, any qualms about Mike McCarthy and his offensive principles will need to persist for at least one more season, because the Cowboys did not fire him. Jones has to get tired of losing every postseason eventually, but today is not that day.

The reason Dallas hasn't swung for major upgrades is simple on the surface — there are a bunch of expensive extensions coming down the pipeline. Both Parsons and Pro Bowl wideout CeeDee Lamb are due for lucrative new contracts. Oh, and Dak Prescott, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He's entering the final year of his contract and the Cowboys need to pay him. The Cowboys want to pay him. And yet, the Cowboys... are just sort of playing hard to get?

Even while prioritizing the flexibility to hand out these massive extensions, Dallas has made a point to drag them out as long as possible. There is no meaningful progress toward a deal with Prescott. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler describes the Cowboys' approach as "passive," despite the team's professed desire to lock up Prescott long term.

Cowboys 'all-in' on Dak Prescott but won't sign him yet

The essence of Fowler's report is simple: the Cowboys want to keep Dak Prescott, but are waiting to see how the landscape unfolds. Rather than setting the market, it sounds like Dallas will wait for the likes of Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa to settle their extensions in Jacksonville and Miami, respectively.

That said... it's hard to understand the point of Dallas' approach. If the Cowboys aren't convinced that Prescott is their QB of the future, fine. Act that way. Don't spread these messages of affection and appreciation, only to ghost his agents' phone calls. Prescott was the second-best regular season QB in the NFL last season. He posted career-best marks across the board and helped Dallas win the NFC East, claiming the No. 2 seed in a crowded NFC.

Yes, the Cowboys lost in the playoffs again, but it was hardly Prescott's fault. That was a broader collective failure. Prescott naturally receives blame as the QB, but the Cowboys scored 32 points in their loss to Green Bay. The primary issue was allowing the Packers to score 48 points in Jordan Love's first postseason game. Prescott can't break up passes or sack the quarterback from the sideline.

Generally, the league's elite quarterbacks get paid without much hesitation. It's the most valuable position in football and just about every true contender has a good-to-great QB under center. The Cowboys are the Cowboys, too. That is one of the most lucrative franchises in all of sports. Jerry Jones talks a big game. He owns America's team. Why would Dallas get cheap now?

This all reads as a lack of respect for Prescott. It would be so much easier to get a deal done quickly. The optics would be better, too. Prescott is going to be one of the highest-paid players in the league, it's inevitable. What use is there in putting it off? The Cowboys aren't preserving flexibility, because all their moves are made with the understanding that Prescott will get paid eventually. There aren't any viable alternatives available in free agency or via trade. The Cowboys are kicking the can down the road for no reason.

Prescott has handled this odd situation with total professionalism, so he deserves credit. It sounds like the Cowboys will pay Prescott eventually, because duh, but Jones and the front office are determined to make it as uncomfortable as possible.