According to Jason La Canfora, there have been no contract talks between the Cowboys and both WR Amari Cooper and CB Byron Jones this season, making both increasingly likely to leave Dallas in free agency this offseason.
La Canfora’s source says the only way Cooper doesn’t hit the open market is if Dallas uses the franchise tag on him. Jones is also positioned to cash in via free agency, and La Canfora adds the Cowboys’ lack of progress in negotiations with QB Dak Prescott affects what Dallas will be able to do to retain either player.
Prescott’s play this season has helped give him a legitimate case to reset the quarterback market as the highest-paid guy. If Dallas can’t come to a long-term agreement with Prescott, they will have to use the franchise tag on him.
Barring an unforeseen breakdown in CBA negotiations triggering a provision for teams to use both the exclusive and transition franchise tag, that means Dallas won’t be able to tag Cooper or Jones to prevent them from leaving.
Cooper, 25, is a former No. 4 overall pick by the Raiders out of Alabama in the 2015 NFL Draft. The Raiders traded him to the Cowboys for a first-round pick midway through the 2018 season.
Cooper played out the final year of his four-year, $22.7 million contract, but his fifth-year option was picked up in 2018. He’s in line to be an unrestricted free agent in 2020.
In 2019, Cooper has appeared in 12 games for the Cowboys and caught 64 passes for 971 yards receiving and seven touchdowns.
Jones, 27, is a former first-round pick out of Connecticut by the Cowboys in the 2015 NFL Draft. He played out the final year of his four-year, $8.601 million rookie contract, but the Cowboys elected to pick up his fifth-year option last year.
Jones now stands to make a base salary of $6.17 million for the 2019 season. He’s in line to be an unrestricted free agent next year.
In 2019, Jones has appeared in 12 games for the Cowboys and recorded 36 tackles, no interceptions, one forced fumble and five pass defenses.
We have them featured in our Top 25 – 2020 Free Agents list.
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