Machota/Sturm: Breaking down Amari Cooper’s contract; How will Cowboys replace Quinn and Cobb?

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
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A lot has happened in less than two days of the NFL’s legal tampering period. Free agency officially begins on Wednesday, but we have a good idea about some of the most important additions and subtractions to the Cowboys roster.

To break it all down, Cowboys writers Jon Machota and Bob Sturm go back and forth on several of the biggest issues.

Machota: The Cowboys and Amari Cooper have agreed to a five-year deal worth $100 million with $60 million guaranteed. It makes him the second-highest-paid wide receiver behind Julio Jones ($22 million) in terms of average per year. It also makes Cooper the fourth-highest paid wide receiver in guaranteed money, behind Odell Beckham Jr. ($65 million), Jones ($64 million) and Michael Thomas ($60.5 million). I thought they might be able to get him for $18 million to $19 million per year, but maybe they went up to $20 million in order to get the fifth year, something that they reportedly also want from Dak Prescott’s next contract. And it’s interesting that the Redskins were reportedly the team they were competing against. I like the deal because he fits well with Dak and the two seem to have a genuine connection. I understand that many are going to point to Cooper’s poor performance in the biggest game of the year last season at Philadelphia with the division on the line. That’s fair. He didn’t play well. But there are so many other examples of his elite play during his previous year and a half in Dallas. If the Cowboys had lost Cooper, that would have moved wide receiver up the list of priorities in the draft, and I’m not too much of a fan of taking one at 17 with all of the needs on defense. With the loss of Randall Cobb, they’ll still have the position on their list of needs, but maybe they can find one in the middle rounds as opposed to the first or second. Bob, what are your thoughts on the Cooper deal and what it means going forward?

Sturm: I think it is a deal that they were pot-committed to a long time ago. I agree with you that I would have loved to see the number come in a bit below this, but when it did not and when we hit deadline day, I believe I would have absolutely put Michael Thomas’ deal out there and on the table immediately to get this deal done. It makes very little sense to me that 5/$96m wasn’t done and dusted the moment the CBA was announced on Sunday. The convenience tax to move it to 5/$100m is hardly extraordinary, and here we are. I think the Cowboys knew the price and somehow resisted, and Amari wanted to prove that this was what it took. I think they took quite a risk, but ultimately survived that scare because their competition was Washington. If Washington was offering $22 million, the balance of the state tax and such is barely enough to mitigate that and the long reputation that particular franchise is incompetent made Washington a threat only if Cooper was willing to make a little more to play for an organization that has repeatedly failed to achieve even mediocrity. From a Cowboys standpoint, this was a must and he is a player that changes plenty offensively. Yes, he took a step back in 2019, but at the age of 25, I choose to believe that’s a health-related blip and not much more. I think the Cowboys have invested wisely in a top player at a top position, and now they can get to work on the defense. There’s plenty of work to be done, but I think the Cooper deal came in exactly where we thought it might when they made the trade.

Machota: Now that Cooper is in the fold, it makes me wonder how Dak feels about his current situation. I’m sure he’s happy to have his top receiving weapon back. But there also has to be a little wondering why everyone else’s deal is getting done and his isn’t. He, of course, is asking for a lot more, but it’s still something he has to be thinking about. Dak continues to be in a great situation on the field. He has an experienced and talented offensive line, a solid pass-catching tight end remains in Blake Jarwin, a loaded running back group with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, a true No. 1 receiver in Cooper and a very good No. 2 in Michael Gallup. It’s a great spot to be in for any QB. I’m going to throw out a hypothetical scenario here for no other reason than the fact that I enjoy them. Let’s say you had to pick between re-signing Cooper or Byron Jones. The same contracts that they have recently agreed to, so $20 million per year for Cooper or $16.5 million per year for Jones. You can only have one. I’m taking Cooper and his deal, and it’s not particularly close. While it would have been great for the Cowboys if they could’ve retained Jones on a more team-friendly type deal, I think it’s easier to replace his production than it would be to replace Cooper’s. Cornerback is obviously a top need now, and I’m fine if that’s addressed as early as the 17th overall pick. I know you feel stronger about Jones than me, so I’m wondering where you’d stand on that particular scenario.

Sturm: I am right there with you, Jon. I cannot claim that a good cornerback impacts the game like a good WR. I think Byron Jones — and the entire cornerback group — is now a real issue and must be taken seriously immediately, but I would never claim they should have given Amari’s money to Byron. Jones is a fantastic talent now being paid as the very best defensive back in football, and I am not willing to stay in that hand of poker by any means. Cooper feels like he is being paid at roughly his spot, whereas Jones feels like he is being paid substantially more than his credentials would suggest. Further, I would suspect that the way football can now be quantified, we would see that a top-five receiver is worth more than a top-five cornerback, but I suppose that might be a bigger discussion that might require more thought. As for Dak, I am interested in throwing this around. What do you think the hold up there is? I suppose, as I wrote in my piece yesterday, we are left with one of two reasonable scenarios. Either the Prescott camp is way too ambitious in their ask (as in way above the highest-paid QB contract of Russell Wilson (4/$140m)), or the Cowboys think they can get him to take an under-market deal and thus agree to Wentz/Goff’s contract, but maybe even just a four-year version of that. I cannot fully grasp which it is, because almost every leak that emerges is produced by the Cowboys side to get their info out and, to my knowledge, CAA and Dak haven’t really leaked a single thing. This, of course, makes it dangerous for us to believe the leaks when they are all from one side of the disagreement. That said, I am really at a loss as to what the hold-up is. Yet, since it did not cost them Cooper, I do realize that if they can retain someone like Robert Quinn now, they will emerge in good shape and this contract stand-off with the QB is not nearly as big of a deal as we first feared. What do you think the stand-off is truly all about?

Machota: From everything I’ve been hearing, the number of years is the biggest holdup at the moment. I’m sure it’s more than just one thing, but it sounds like that is the biggest. Dak’s camp is looking for a four-year deal, and the Cowboys want a five-year contract. To me, it would seem like it shouldn’t be this difficult to come to an agreement when both sides want to continue doing business together. I get why Dak would want to only commit to four years. It gives him a chance to get back out on the open market quickly after more deals increase the price tag for a franchise QB. If Dak signed a new contract today, even if it made him the highest-paid player in NFL history, it will likely be topped by Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or whichever other QB signs a deal next. So it would make sense why Dak would want to be able to negotiate a new deal as soon as possible. The Cowboys want a longer commitment so they’re not going through this exact same scenario in four years. But maybe we’ve reached a point where the Cowboys are fine allowing Dak to play another year and evaluating things again after the 2020 season. That’s obviously a dangerous game to play considering Dak could turn in a career year and the price tag goes up considerably. However, there’s also risk for Dak, as he could suffer an injury or have a down year, causing his price to drop. I was wondering how you feel about all the big money being spent in free agency on players who were with the Cowboys last season. How does it impact your thoughts on that disappointing 8-8 season? Is it simply on Jason Garrett and the coaching staff?

Sturm: Well, 8-8 is a complicated talking point because it assumes so many things. It assumes that they were not being beaten down by bad special teams and coaching for so long. I think the idea of paying a ton to keep an 8-8 team together is comical, but for the most part, I also think that it misses the reality of this being a team that looks to be close to contending in an NFC with very few powerhouses at the moment. They have an offense that is balanced and powerful and that should really put you in a strong position. Since they have invested so much to get here, it only makes sense that they should be strong offensively. Collectively, it might seem they are barking up the wrong tree, but if the name of the game is to assemble talented players at vital spots, then investing in Cooper and Prescott at their ages makes intuitive sense to anyone who has evaluated them. Now, you clearly need to maximize the other components of what makes a team a contender, and that certainly starts with coaching and tactics that put you in the best spot. Then, your defense and special teams can’t bring you down. It will be interesting, but if they had brought back Quinn along with Lawrence, the linebackers, and this offense, I think you can see the draft filling out a path to optimism and a 10-11 win team in 2020. But, to your original question, yes, Jason Garrett should have been fired between two and seven years ago!

Machota: I wanted to touch on two more topics before we wrap up: the third WR position with Randall Cobb going to Houston, and pass rush with Robert Quinn headed to Chicago. How can the Cowboys replace Cobb? I know you’ve been studying several of these draft prospects. I was wondering what you’ve seen or heard about this wide receiver class and potentially how they can make up for the loss of Cobb. Two names that jump out to me as potential Cobb replacements in the middle rounds are Texas’ Devin Duvernay and Ohio State’s K.J. Hill, someone the Cowboys met with at the Senior Bowl. It seems like there could be some good value at the position. Of course, there could still be veterans they might target as the first wave of free agency calms down. I certainly didn’t expect a one-year, $5 million deal for Cobb last year at this time. That proved to be a great bargain. I’ve seen fans suggest Emmanuel Sanders because of his SMU connections, but I think he might end up being a little too expensive. In regards to Quinn, that’s a huge loss. They’re going to have trouble replacing his 11.5 sacks in 14 games last year. Maybe they find a bargain in free agency or via trade but it seems like a pass rusher needs to be addressed early in this draft — the problem being that the elite ones usually don’t make it back to Pick 17. There’s always the Randy Gregory possibility. I haven’t heard anything new on him. Last I heard he was working on making a comeback, but I don’t think he has applied for reinstatement yet. Not sure what kind of shape he’s in or what kind of impact he’d be able to make right away. It could be an option, though.

Sturm: I have not looked at Hill yet, but I really think Duvernay is the type of player who could drop to Rounds 3-5 and still be part of an immediate solution. I like that player quite a bit. There are several I have seen, and I think Hill might also fit there. As for Quinn, I am a big believer in his value and his 2019, but I do think it is worth mentioning he was a below-average run defender. That isn’t to say he needed to be better than that, because the defense called for him to pin his ears back and rush. But I just want it to be clear I don’t think he was near an elite edge and had some major weak points that are not being mentioned enough. I think Gregory’s return helps, but I also think Day 1-2 of the draft might give you some options. Let’s face it: They are short some players up front, and this was a massive blow not just because of who Quinn is but also because of what is behind him. Gregory, when right, is a great replacement, but in fairness, it is silly to assume he is peak Gregory right now.
 

Shiningstar

DCC 4Life
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Mar 10, 2020
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959
Good move by MM, hes letting FA set up his draft. We lost some pieces, got some pieces, now he can go into the draft targeting vital pieces where we need them. Now we have to see how he plays the draft but im liking what hes done so far this off season.
 
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