OXNARD, Calif. — Over the years, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has not been afraid to talk about Super Bowl dreams before the start of a season. But as the franchise’s championship drought pushes past 25 years, Jones stayed away from making headlines Wednesday.
Still, making it to Super Bowl LVI is at the top of Jones’ mind.
“I’d do anything known to man to get to a Super Bowl,” Jones said. “That’s a fact.”
Jones became emotional at several points of a nearly hourlong news conference, starting with when he was asked how he intends to get the Cowboys back to a time when they won three Super Bowls in a four-year span in the 1990s.
“I’ve always had to be pragmatic at the end of the day, because if not, you’ll end up on the outside looking in. You have to be real,” Jones said. “But on the other hand, I’ve never thought that we couldn’t be better or never thought that we couldn’t make it happen, even when we were not on paper or we weren’t as technically as good or sound. But I’ve never thought that, and I’ve got too many examples of how short-handed people have knocked them out of the park before. A lot of them. In a lot of different areas.
“I really don’t know that I have any days or have any weeks where I don’t think, ‘There’s a pony in here somewhere.’ You have a lot of days where you ask yourself, ‘What are you doing in the middle of this?’ That has served me well. This isn’t an ‘I, me,’ but I’ve had a lot of people tell me, ‘You’re naive,’ or say, ‘He’s naive.’ Well, it’s a beautiful world. … It’s a better world to be naive than to be skeptical and be negative all the time.”
Jones choked up when discussing former coach Jimmy Johnson’s tenure with the Cowboys now that Johnson is headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month.
“Well, I just think of those great times, and Jimmy’s a great coach,” Jones said. “Ridiculous. My role here was, my job was to keep it together. It was my job. Should have had deference to something that was working good. Those are the things that come to my mind. We had a great run of it. He’s a great coach, and I’m proud to have him as a friend, and proud to have had the times that we had. We just had a great experience.”
The current Cowboys have missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons, including a 6-10 finish in 2020 in Mike McCarthy’s first season as coach. Quarterback Dak Prescott played in just five games because of a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle, but he will be a full participant when practice opens Thursday. A number of other key players also missed significant time because of injury.
With Prescott and offensive linemen Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and La’el Collins healthy and the addition of Dan Quinn at defensive coordinator, Jones is optimistic about 2021, if not bombastic.
“I think we got a way to make it work big for this season,” Jones said. “You put those two things together, and I think we got a chance to be a really good team.”
The Minnesota Vikings and free-agent safety Xavier Woods have agreed to a one-year, $2.25 million deal that includes $1.75 million guaranteed, a source confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Woods, who developed into a versatile safety with the ability to cover the slot over his first four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, is expected to fill the Vikings’ opening at free safety opposite Harrison Smith after Anthony Harris’ departure in free agency.
After finishing the season ranked 29th in points allowed and 27th in yards allowed, Minnesota has focused its efforts on the defensive side. In addition to Woods, the Vikings have only acquired defensive players in free agency — defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, linebacker Nick Vigil and cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander.
A sixth-round pick in 2017, Woods became a full-time starter in his second season with the Cowboys and started his last 44 games, missing four games over three seasons due to injury.
Heading into 2020, he was viewed as a cornerstone piece to the Cowboys’ secondary, but he struggled despite finishing second on the team with 72 tackles. He had just two tackles for loss, did not record a sack and had just two passes defended while not intercepting a pass for the first time in his career.
Woods can play both safety spots and also played as a nickel cornerback as a rookie.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Todd Archer contributed to this report.
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott have agreed to a four-year, $160 million contract, including $126 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Prescott’s signing bonus is $66 million, the highest in NFL history, a source told ESPN. The first three years of the deal average $42 million per year, a source told Schefter.
The Cowboys announced they had agreed to a contract with Prescott but did not disclose terms. The Cowboys will place the franchise tag on Prescott on Tuesday as a procedural matter, a source told Schefter. The Cowboys announced they will hold a Wednesday news conference.
The process to reach a long-term deal with Prescott covered three offseasons, multiple mega-million offers and hours of negotiations. The Cowboys, all along, said they wanted Prescott to be their franchise quarterback for the present and future, and Prescott said he wanted to remain with the Cowboys.
It just took a lot longer than normal.
Prescott, who turns 28 in July, is coming off a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle suffered in the Week 5 win against the New York Giants last October, but he was predicted to make a full recovery during the 2021 offseason program.
The road to the deal was complicated by the extensions signed by fellow 2016 draftees Jared Goff and Carson Wentz in 2019, the final year of a collective bargaining agreement and the unwillingness for either side to bend in what they wanted in terms of the length of the deal — the Cowboys wanted a commitment of five years or more; Prescott’s side wanted a four-year deal.
But now that the deal is complete, the focus turns to improving the roster around Prescott to make sure the Cowboys can contend for a Super Bowl.
The Cowboys have missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons. Prescott’s absence in 2020, however, showed how integral he is to their success. Before getting hurt, he threw for 1,856 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions in five games. The Cowboys offense scuffled along for a few weeks without Prescott, scoring one touchdown in three games after scoring at least 31 points in four of their first five games.
In five seasons, Prescott has a team-record seven 400-yard passing games and 24 rushing touchdowns, the most by a Cowboys’ quarterback. He is second to Tony Romo in 300-yard passing games with 15. He has also proven to be clutch with 15 game-winning drives.
Prescott, the Cowboys’ 2016 fourth-round pick, has posted a 42-27 record with 17,364 passing yards to go along with 106 touchdown passes and 40 interceptions.
With the contract secured, the expectations will be even greater on Prescott to deliver a Super Bowl to an organization that has not made it to the title game in 25 years.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones and Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry are targets for the NFL franchise-tag designation entering the 2021 season.
Prior to NFL free agency starting March 17, each of the 32 teams must evaluate whether they will place a franchise tag on veteran players to keep them off the open market.
The franchise tag is a labor designation that restricts a player’s potential movement in exchange for a high one-year salary. Each team can put the franchise tag on one pending free agent, a decision that is pricey but also provides leverage against losing a player, ensuring the team a large return if that player ultimately departs the club.
The franchise tag window begins Tuesday, and teams have until March 9 at 4 p.m. ET to place the tag on their most valuable player.
Different challenges will happen this year for both sides because the tags will pay less because of the lowered salary cap, which has a cap floor of $180 million. (The tag is calculated by taking the average of the top five players’ cap percentage at the position for the 2020 season or 120% of the player’s previous year salary — whichever is greater.)
We asked our NFL Nation reporters to identify the players most likely to get tagged and make their predictions on what will happen over the next two weeks. By our count, 21 teams are contemplating using the franchise tag:
Jump to: ATL | BUF | BAL | CAR CIN | CHI | DAL | DEN DET | GNB | HOU | LAC JAX | NE | NOR | NYG | NYJ SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Keanu Neal, safety
After missing nearly all of the 2018 and 2019 seasons because of injuries, Neal bounced back with 100 tackles and an interception in 2020 while playing on the fifth-year option. Neal thrived in his first two years, too, so he’s definitely an impact player when healthy. There might be a question of whether he fits into the new scheme, and that could be the reason the Falcons don’t tag him, but having a consistent player in the secondary is not something to take for granted.
Prediction: Neal is a good, young safety and can be a key part of the defense, so the Falcons tag him. — Michael DiRocco
Matt Milano, linebacker
It’s not a very likely scenario, but there is a world in which the Bills apply the franchise tag on Milano if they’re unable to come to a long-term agreement. He is Buffalo’s most valuable free agent — and thus its most difficult to sign, likely commanding north of $13 million per year in an ordinary offseason. Bills general manager Brandon Beane gave Milano his blessing to seek the biggest payday elsewhere, making the franchise tag a reach; you just never know in this league, but don’t hold your breath in this situation.
Prediction: The Bills won’t use the franchise tag on Milano. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Matthew Judon or Yannick Ngakoue, outside linebackers
It’s prohibitive for the Ravens to use the tag on either Judon or Ngakoue because it would take up nearly all of Baltimore’s salary-cap space to do so, and you can make the argument that there isn’t value to putting the tag on either of them. Judon totaled six sacks last season, and Ngakoue didn’t seem to be a great fit. But the Ravens have to at least consider it. Without the tag, Judon and Ngakoue are likely getting more lucrative deals elsewhere. Given the cap restraints, the Ravens can address outside linebacker by re-signing Tyus Bowser and selecting a pass-rusher early in this year’s draft.
Prediction: The Ravens won’t use the tag this year, marking the fourth time in five years Baltimore won’t tag a player. — Jamison Hensley
Taylor Moton, right tackle
Locking down 2017 second-round pick Moton for the upcoming season is a must for a Carolina team that has one starting offensive lineman (center Matt Paradis) under contract. Moton allowed three sacks last season and hasn’t missed a start the past three seasons. If a long-term deal can’t be reached, the Panthers would use the tag on him, which would cost an estimated $13.6 million. Releasing Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short gives the team cap room to make sure Moton doesn’t get away.
Prediction: The Panthers will use the franchise tag on Moton if a long-term deal cannot be worked out before the new league year begins. — David Newton
Carl Lawson, defensive end
Lawson finished his rookie deal as the Bengals’ most disruptive pass-rusher. However, he tallied 5.5 sacks, which could prevent the Bengals from paying the franchise tag worth an estimated $17.8 million, per Over The Cap. But Lawson is more disruptive than the raw numbers indicate. He created 10.5 sacks (via an ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen Stats), good for seventh in the league last season. As of now, it seems unlikely the Bengals use the tag on Lawson. That being said, don’t be shocked if Lawson commands a high salary on the open market.
Prediction: The Bengals won’t use the franchise tag on Lawson. — Ben Baby
Allen Robinson II, wide receiver
The Bears’ offense without Robinson, 27, looks pretty grim, which makes tagging the wide receiver, who caught 120 passes for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns last season, a strong possibility. Chicago is also prioritizing finding the quarterback who would be throwing Robinson passes and ultimately could determine whether the receiver would want to sign a long-term deal if tagged. The cost of tagging Robinson is $16.4 million. The Bears are already in a tight predicament with the salary cap, so they’ll need to create space by restructuring contracts or releasing expensive veterans (e.g. Jimmy Graham). It’s also wise not to rule out a tag-and-trade scenario for Robinson depending on how things play out for Chicago in free agency.
Prediction: The Bears will use the franchise tag on Robinson. — Courtney Cronin
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Rob Ninkovich and Ryan Clark make the case for the Bears pursuing Deshaun Watson.
Dak Prescott, quarterback
Without a long-term deal by March 9, the Cowboys will tag Prescott for the second straight year and it will cost $37.7 million against the cap. It would also set in motion the likelihood that 2021 could be Prescott’s final season in Dallas. These talks are entering their third offseason, so maybe the two sides will be able to find a compromise. Is Prescott worth it? The Cowboys went 4-7 without him in 2020, and the offense scored one touchdown in the first three games Dallas played after he suffered his ankle injury.
Prediction: The Cowboys will use the franchise tag on Prescott. — Todd Archer
Justin Simmons, safety
The Broncos keep saying they want to work something out with Simmons, and Simmons has said he would like to stay. But both sides also say it all has to come together on their side of the negotiating table, too. Ultimately, a long-term deal makes the most sense, and it likely would not help matters toward a long-term deal if the team used the franchise tag on the safety for the second consecutive year. Simmons is really the only player among the Broncos’ potential unrestricted free agents worth discussing when it comes to the tag, and it would be a potential short-term solution — again.
Prediction: The Broncos will use the franchise tag on Simmons only to give them more time to get a long-term deal done. — Jeff Legwold
Kenny Golladay, wide receiver
The Lions have a decision to make with their Pro Bowl wide receiver who missed 11 games last season because of hamstring and hip injuries. Golladay, 27, appeared to be a candidate for a long-term deal under the previous regime, but that never materialized. Now that the Lions are in a rebuild under a new head coach/general manager combo in Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes, the franchise must decide whether to sign Golladay to a long-term extension, tag him, tag him with the potential intent to trade him or let him walk. Detroit, which needs wide receivers desperately, could do any of those things considering its multiyear plan to return to competitiveness.
Prediction: The Lions will use the franchise tag on Golladay. — Michael Rothstein
Aaron Jones, running back
The Packers weren’t willing to guarantee a significant portion of the contract they offered Jones during the season, but they would clearly like him back. Tagging him might be their best option, securing his services for one more season at around $11 million. But there are two things to consider: the difficulty of fitting that tag under the salary cap and Jones’ potential unwillingness to play for the tag.
Prediction: The Packers won’t use the franchise tag on Jones. — Rob Demovsky
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Booger McFarland doesn’t see the Packers moving on from Aaron Rodgers anytime soon.
Will Fuller V, wide receiver
In 2020, Fuller was well on his way to proving he could stay healthy and be a No. 1 wide receiver before he was suspended for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Even after Fuller was suspended, quarterback Deshaun Watson said he wanted the receiver back in 2021. Could the Texans tag Fuller to try to make Watson change his mind about wanting a trade? Maybe. Houston saved $17.5 million by releasing J.J. Watt and have other players they could release or contracts they can restructure to make the $16.4 million franchise tag work.
Prediction: The Texans won’t use the franchise tag on Fuller. — Sarah Barshop
Hunter Henry, tight end
Henry, 26, was franchised last season because of injury concerns. He played in all but the last two games of this season after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. If the Chargers franchise tag him for a second straight year, his 2021 salary will be $12.7 million. The 6-foot-5 tight end had a standout season with 60 receptions, 613 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The Chargers need a reliable target for quarterback Justin Herbert.
Prediction: The Chargers will use the franchise tag on Henry. — Shelley Smith
Cam Robinson, left tackle
Robinson hasn’t progressed significantly from his rookie season (2017). His best season was 2019 when he ranked 57th among tackles in pass block win rate, per ESPN Stats & Information research, and he ranked 59th in 2020. The franchise tag, which is estimated to be around $13.2 million, looks like a better option than signing Robinson to a long-term deal. Take one more year to see if and how much he improves. The Jaguars have the most salary-cap space available (approximately $74 million), so they definitely could afford Trent Williams, who might get $18 million to $20 million annually. Coach Urban Meyer recently said he likes the offensive line, so that might be an indication the Jaguars are willing to stick with Robinson at least one more year.
Prediction: Robinson hasn’t made enough progress to warrant the franchise tag. The Jaguars won’t tag him. — Michael DiRocco
Joe Thuney, left guard
This seems highly unlikely, but because Thuney was tagged last year, he at least falls into the category of possibilities this year. It would be a 120% increase from his $14.7 million tag in 2020, and it’s hard to believe the Patriots would want to eat up $17.737 million in cap space with other pressing needs. The sides had all of 2019 and up to July 2020 to reach an extension, and there seemed to be little momentum to do so.
Prediction: The Patriots won’t use the franchise tag on Thuney. — Mike Reiss
Marcus Williams, safety
The Saints have severe salary-cap restraints on them this year, so it’s unlikely they will use the franchise tag on anyone. But safety is the most affordable position in the league when it comes to the franchise tag ($11.4 million last year). It’s not out of the question the Saints would consider using it to secure one of their most important young defensive playmakers. The free safety has been a starter ever since he was drafted in the second round in 2017 and arguably had his best season in 2020. Williams has 14 career interceptions, including the playoffs.
Prediction: The Saints won’t use the franchise tag on Williams. — Mike Triplett
Leonard Williams, defensive lineman
This would be more as a short-term placeholder than anything else. This isn’t the year to put a $19.4 million cap charge on the books. The Giants franchised Williams last year, and now it would be 120% of that $16.1 million salary for 2021. The goal is to sign Williams to a long-term deal. But the franchise tag could buy the two sides some more time, if necessary. Williams is going to get paid. He was worth $16 million off a half-sack season. What’s he worth now off a career-best 11.5 sacks? A lot.
Prediction: Williams signs a long-term deal with the Giants before the franchise tag deadline at just under $20 million per season. — Jordan Raanan
Marcus Maye, safety
The projected tag amount at safety ($11.2 million) isn’t ridiculous, so the Jets could utilize the tag for the first time since 2016 (Muhammad Wilkerson). The goal is to sign Maye, who was voted by teammates as the Jets’ MVP in 2020, to a long-term contract. The tag would buy more time if they can’t get it done by March 9. A year ago, general manager Joe Douglas admittedly miscalculated the market and lost wide receiver Robby Anderson in free agency. He doesn’t want that to happen with Maye, who is likely to land a deal that pays him in the neighborhood of $10 million to $12 million per year.
Prediction: The Jets and Maye will reach a long-term agreement, avoiding New York from having to use the franchise tag. — Rich Cimini
Shaquill Griffin, cornerback
Griffin likely wants to be paid like a top-five cornerback, which might be too steep for the Seahawks as they look to extend Jamal Adams on what could be a record contract for a safety. That would bring the tag into play at an estimated cost of $15.266 million, per Over The Cap. If the Seahawks aren’t confident they can get a deal done with Griffin and anticipate a strong market for the 25-year-old Pro Bowler, they’d have to consider tagging and trading him like they did two years ago with Frank Clark.
Prediction: The Seahawks won’t use the franchise tag on Griffin. — Brady Henderson
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Mina Kimes reacts to Russell Wilson’s frustrations that he is getting hit too much.
Chris Godwin, wide receiver
There’s no way the Bucs will allow Godwin to leave if at all possible. But if they can’t work out a long-term deal, Godwin will be their top franchise tag candidate and it would cost Tampa Bay roughly $16.5 million. Sure, they could franchise tag outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett again instead, but it would cost them 120% more than what they tagged him with last year, which would be roughly $19 million this year — not exactly cap friendly when the team has a projected $30 million in space available for 2021.
Prediction: The Buccaneers will use the franchise tag on Godwin with the hopes of making a long-term extension happen. — Jenna Laine
Jonnu Smith, tight end
The Titans are well aware of Smith’s value as a pass-catcher, especially in the red zone where he hauled in eight touchdowns last season. Smith has become a preferred target for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. There was a dip in Smith’s involvement once left tackle Taylor Lewan was placed on injured reserve in November. The Titans utilized Smith’s blocking ability to help Lewan’s backups. The franchise tag will cost $10.2 million, but it will give Tennessee time to negotiate a long-term deal with Smith, who is only 25 years old.
Prediction: The Titans will place the franchise tag on Smith and work on a long-term deal to keep him in Tennessee for a while. — Turron Davenport
Washington Football Team
Brandon Scherff, right guard
Coach Ron Rivera has said he wants to build strong lines on both sides of the ball. Scherff was a first-team All-Pro last season — the first by any player here since 1996. He’s also a four-time Pro Bowler. Durability has been a concern as Scherff hasn’t played a full season since 2016 and his 13 games played this past season were his most since 2017. There’s no doubt about his impact when he plays, with his ability to win at the line and on the move. However, because of his stature, he would command around $15 million per year — the highest for a guard. Washington used the franchise tag on him last year at a cost of $15.03 million. If tagged again, he would receive a 20% bump, so there’s not much incentive on his end to get a deal done knowing he could make $18 million on a one-year deal.
Prediction: Washington will use the franchise tag on Scherff, but it will be with the idea of continuing to negotiate and, ultimately, reach a deal. It might just take a while to get there. — John Keim
FRISCO, Texas — After 17 seasons, Jason Witten is retiring from the NFL. He intends to sign a one-day contract and retire as a member of the Dallas Cowboys in March when his contract with the Las Vegas Raiders expires at the end of the league year.
Witten, 38, played 16 seasons with the Cowboys and spent 2020 with the Raiders. No tight end in NFL history has played more games than Witten’s 271, and only Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez has more receptions and yards at the position.
“A coach once told me, ‘The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example,'” Witten told ESPN. “As I hang it up, I walk away knowing that for 17 seasons I gave it my absolute all. I am proud of my accomplishments as a football player on the field and the example I tried to set off of it. Football is a great game that has taught me many valuable lessons, and I look forward to passing on that knowledge to the next generation.”
Witten first retired after the 2017 season and spent 2018 as an ESPN Monday Night Football analyst but opted to return to the Cowboys in 2019.
A third-round pick in 2003, Witten developed into one of the best tight ends in NFL history. He was named to the Pro Bowl 11 times, tied with Hall of Fame defensive lineman Bob Lilly for the most in Dallas history, and was considered a complete tight end because of his ability as a blocker in addition to his pass-catching. In 2012, he was named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year winner for the work he and his wife, Michelle, have done with their foundation.
Witten is the Cowboys’ all-time leader in receptions (1,215) and yards (12,977) and is second in touchdown catches (72). He had four 1,000-yard seasons, and in 2012 he set the record for catches in a season by a tight end (110) — a record that has since been broken.
He played in a team-record 255 games, including a franchise-record 245 starts, missing just one game in his career because of a broken jaw as a rookie. He had 13 catches for 69 yards and two touchdowns for the Raiders, but was lauded by coach Jon Gruden and fellow tight end Darren Waller for his mentorship.
Coaching has long been mentioned as a possibility for Witten’s next move. He has been linked to opportunities in the NFL and college levels immediately should he want to start down that path. Undoubtedly he will be inducted into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, and he will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026.
