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LambeauLegs
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Breakout NFL players for 2019; Dak Prescott is a $30 million QB
DAK PRESCOTT'S FUTURE: Cowboys QB about to join $30 Million Club?
Just four quarterbacks average $30 million in annual compensation, but Dak Prescott is in line to join the club. I know the thought of the Dallas Cowboys' signal-caller sitting alongside the likes of Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan will make some observers queasy. When you take a closer look at Prescott's first three years in the NFL, though, he deserves access beyond the velvet rope.
The 25-year-old has the second-most QB wins (32) since entering the NFL in 2016, trailing only Tom Brady (35), and he leads the NFL in game-winning drives (14) during that span. In addition, Prescott boasts a 13-5 record against the NFC East, including a 10-2 mark over the last two seasons. We can debate whether wins should be counted as an individual stat, but it is impossible to dismiss Prescott's success as the QB1 of America's Team. No. 4 is the only quarterback in NFL history to pile up more than 20 games with a 100-plus passer rating (minimum 20 attempts) through his first three years. Considering Prescott is also the NFL's highest-rated passer when the game is tied or in overtime since 2016, the young quarterback certainly has a compelling case to earn big bucks.
That said, skeptics are having a hard time wrestling with the big dollar figure Prescott is going to command, given some raw passing statistics in his three-year career. Dak has hit 300 yards passing just five times in 48 regular-season games. He doesn't stack up eye-popping TD numbers, throwing for 23 in 2016, 22 in '17 and 22 last year. While his career completion percentage sits at a respectable 66.1, Prescott is viewed as a scattershot passer with some accuracy issues.
Moreover, Prescott is categorized as a game manager whose success is predicated on the presence and production of Ezekiel Elliott, one of the game's very best running backs. And Dak's play exponentially improved with the midseason trade for Amari Cooper:
Prescott without Cooper: 62.1 completion percentage, 202.4 pass YPG, 8:4 TD-to-INT ratio, 87.4 passer rating.
Prescott with Cooper (including two playoff games): 70.1 completion percentage, 269.1 pass YPG, 16:5 TD-to-INT ratio, 101.0 passer rating.
OK, so, the performance of the young quarterback when surrounded by top talent yields outstanding results. The Cowboys hit their bye week last season at 3-4. Then they acquired Cooper, went 7-2 down the stretch to take the NFC East and won a playoff game. Prescott plays like an A-level quarterback with A-level playmakers around him. Isn't that exactly what you want from a QB1 in today's game?
Given Prescott's uptick in play down the stretch last season, it is reasonable to expect the QB will continue to perform at that level with Elliott and Cooper in the huddle going forward. Suddenly, Dallas has another set of triplets just entering their prime, with Prescott the oldest at age 25. That's why Jerry Jones doesn't have much of a choice when it comes to paying his young field general. The bodacious owner has to pay market value for his quarterback after getting a pair of Pro Bowl campaigns at a greatly reduced rate. Remember, Dak entered the league as a fourth-round pick, receiving a contract with an average annual salary of $680,848. That's well below the going rate for even a mid-level starter, with Andy Dalton commanding an average of $16 million a year. And Prescott could reasonably argue that his resume puts him ahead of Derek Carr ($25 million average annual salary), Jimmy Garoppolo ($27.5 million) and Kirk Cousins ($28 million), based on the Cowboys' success in recent years.
That's why I believe No. 4 is knocking on the door of the $30 Million Club. Say what you want about Prescott and his passing totals, but he has stacked up enough wins and shown enough flashes to hold firm on his asking price and rebuff any hometown discount being suggested by the Cowboys.
While some have suggested Dallas should make Prescott play out his deal and use the franchise tag to keep him in the fold, the escalating value of the tag can't be overlooked. The 2019 franchise tag for a quarterback is valued at $24.865 million, with teams charged a 120 percent increase if they chose to issue a second tag the following season. Based on those totals, that would put Prescott at around $25 million or more in 2020, with a salary of at least $30 million in 2021 on a second tag. Not to mention, the current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2020 season, which adds even more uncertainty about future pay scales.
So, like it or not, Prescott is getting a pass into the $30 Million Club. And the Cowboys would be wise to get the deal done before the cost rises again, with a few other quarterback deals (see: Carson Wentzand Jared Goff) on the horizon.
DAK PRESCOTT'S FUTURE: Cowboys QB about to join $30 Million Club?
Just four quarterbacks average $30 million in annual compensation, but Dak Prescott is in line to join the club. I know the thought of the Dallas Cowboys' signal-caller sitting alongside the likes of Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan will make some observers queasy. When you take a closer look at Prescott's first three years in the NFL, though, he deserves access beyond the velvet rope.
The 25-year-old has the second-most QB wins (32) since entering the NFL in 2016, trailing only Tom Brady (35), and he leads the NFL in game-winning drives (14) during that span. In addition, Prescott boasts a 13-5 record against the NFC East, including a 10-2 mark over the last two seasons. We can debate whether wins should be counted as an individual stat, but it is impossible to dismiss Prescott's success as the QB1 of America's Team. No. 4 is the only quarterback in NFL history to pile up more than 20 games with a 100-plus passer rating (minimum 20 attempts) through his first three years. Considering Prescott is also the NFL's highest-rated passer when the game is tied or in overtime since 2016, the young quarterback certainly has a compelling case to earn big bucks.
That said, skeptics are having a hard time wrestling with the big dollar figure Prescott is going to command, given some raw passing statistics in his three-year career. Dak has hit 300 yards passing just five times in 48 regular-season games. He doesn't stack up eye-popping TD numbers, throwing for 23 in 2016, 22 in '17 and 22 last year. While his career completion percentage sits at a respectable 66.1, Prescott is viewed as a scattershot passer with some accuracy issues.
Moreover, Prescott is categorized as a game manager whose success is predicated on the presence and production of Ezekiel Elliott, one of the game's very best running backs. And Dak's play exponentially improved with the midseason trade for Amari Cooper:
Prescott without Cooper: 62.1 completion percentage, 202.4 pass YPG, 8:4 TD-to-INT ratio, 87.4 passer rating.
Prescott with Cooper (including two playoff games): 70.1 completion percentage, 269.1 pass YPG, 16:5 TD-to-INT ratio, 101.0 passer rating.
OK, so, the performance of the young quarterback when surrounded by top talent yields outstanding results. The Cowboys hit their bye week last season at 3-4. Then they acquired Cooper, went 7-2 down the stretch to take the NFC East and won a playoff game. Prescott plays like an A-level quarterback with A-level playmakers around him. Isn't that exactly what you want from a QB1 in today's game?
Given Prescott's uptick in play down the stretch last season, it is reasonable to expect the QB will continue to perform at that level with Elliott and Cooper in the huddle going forward. Suddenly, Dallas has another set of triplets just entering their prime, with Prescott the oldest at age 25. That's why Jerry Jones doesn't have much of a choice when it comes to paying his young field general. The bodacious owner has to pay market value for his quarterback after getting a pair of Pro Bowl campaigns at a greatly reduced rate. Remember, Dak entered the league as a fourth-round pick, receiving a contract with an average annual salary of $680,848. That's well below the going rate for even a mid-level starter, with Andy Dalton commanding an average of $16 million a year. And Prescott could reasonably argue that his resume puts him ahead of Derek Carr ($25 million average annual salary), Jimmy Garoppolo ($27.5 million) and Kirk Cousins ($28 million), based on the Cowboys' success in recent years.
That's why I believe No. 4 is knocking on the door of the $30 Million Club. Say what you want about Prescott and his passing totals, but he has stacked up enough wins and shown enough flashes to hold firm on his asking price and rebuff any hometown discount being suggested by the Cowboys.
While some have suggested Dallas should make Prescott play out his deal and use the franchise tag to keep him in the fold, the escalating value of the tag can't be overlooked. The 2019 franchise tag for a quarterback is valued at $24.865 million, with teams charged a 120 percent increase if they chose to issue a second tag the following season. Based on those totals, that would put Prescott at around $25 million or more in 2020, with a salary of at least $30 million in 2021 on a second tag. Not to mention, the current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2020 season, which adds even more uncertainty about future pay scales.
So, like it or not, Prescott is getting a pass into the $30 Million Club. And the Cowboys would be wise to get the deal done before the cost rises again, with a few other quarterback deals (see: Carson Wentzand Jared Goff) on the horizon.