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News: Cowboys restructure Prescott, NFL sets cap figure, what’s next for Kearse?

It’s down to the wire now. The Cowboys will need to start putting pieces into place, even though each one is subject to change at a moment’s notice based on all the others. The league has announced the official salary cap number for 2022, which determines actual dollar figures for franchise tagged players. Now Dallas knows how much it will cost to use the tag on Dalton Schultz, as is speculated. That makes Randy Gregory’s return dependent on a new deal. That becomes more important if DeMarcus Lawrence is cut. The Cowboys do suddenly have more money to work with, perhaps for players like Jayron Kearse, as they’ve reworked Dak Prescott’s deal. But additional funds still may not save Amari Cooper’s spot on the roster. And if Cooper leaves, retaining Michael Gallup becomes an even higher priority. It’s all connected.

All that, plus combine wrapups, a college broadcaster goes pro, one Cowboys quarterback is still following in the footsteps of another, and what the history of the green dot tells us about the future of NFL defenses. News and Notes, coming right up.

Dak Prescott contract: Cowboys to restructure QB's deal, free up millions in cap space ahead of free agency :: CBS Sports

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In a move that was not just expected but planned for all along, the Cowboys have restructured their quarterback’s mega-contract to add $15.7 million to what the club has to spend as they work to get under the salary cap. Prescott’s contract was originally created with exactly this scenario in mind; the move won’t change a penny of how much Prescott gets, only the schedule of payments. Dallas could do the same thing for both Amari Cooper and DeMarcus Lawrence, too, but seem unwilling to do so.

Report: Rehabbing WR Michael Gallup could land new Cowboys deal 'north of $10M per season' :: Cowboys Wire

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NFL Network’s Mike Garofalo believes the front office and Gallup will work out a new contract that could pay the Colorado State product over $10 million per year on something like a five-year deal. He’s recovering from knee surgery just a month ago; the Cowboys “are confident that the ACL tear that he suffered was a clean one, so they believe medically, he is going to be okay.”

NFL sets salary cap at $208.2 million per team for 2022 season :: NFL.com

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The new cap number represents an increase of $25.7 million over last year’s cap. That sets the dollar amounts for franchise-tagged and transition-tagged players. The numbers most immediately relevant to the Cowboys are $10.93 million and $17.86 million, the tag figures for tight end (Schultz) and defensive end (Gregory), respectively.

Report: Cowboys won’t tag Randy Gregory but could tag Dalton Schultz :: ProFootballTalk

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With less than 24 hours to go to use the franchise tag on one of its soon-to-be free agents, the Cowboys are reportedly “seriously considering” placing the tag on tight end Dalton Schultz. It would make him the third-highest paid tight end in the league, behind Mark Andrews and George Kittle. They reportedly have no plans whatsoever to tag Randy Gregory.

As league year approaches, it appears Cowboys once again are eating contracts they created :: Cowboys Wire

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The front office looks likely to continue its depressing streak of passing on top-tier free agents. The Joneses rarely go above $5 to $6 million to bring in a veteran, usually choosing instead to keep paying guys already in the building. Unfortunately, they also often overpay those players and release them before the deal is even up. See: DeMarcus Ware, Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Jaylon Smith… and maybe, soon, Amari Cooper and/or DeMarcus Lawrence.

Best team fit for Amari Cooper? | 'GMFB' weighs in :: NFL.com

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The Good Morning Football hosts spitball on landing places for Cooper should the Cowboys part ways with the veteran receiver. The Eagles, Jets, and Chargers get a shoutout here. (The Patriots, Chiefs, and Cardinals are also being mentioned as possibilities by other outlets.)

What's next for safety: Jayron Kearse's market? :: The Mothership

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Kearse was a wonderful surprise in 2021, delivering far more than most expected from a one-year free agent signing. Despite never having started more than seven games in a season, Kearse started 15 for Dallas and was the tackles leader on a defense full of marquee names. The veteran safety has more than earned a return to the team, but will the Cowboys be willing to pay something in the neighborhood of $5.8 million per year to keep him?

FMIA: A peek inside the journal of Aidan Hutchinson, and what we learned at NFL scouting combine :: ProFootballTalk

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Among Peter King’s tidbits this week: ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit will reportedly take over the Thursday night chair many thought would be occupied by Troy Aikman. The college analyst is said to be branching out into boothing NFL games for Amazon next season; he’ll likely continue his college duties, too.

Also, the notion of moving the scouting combine to a more league-lucrative site is “a universally despised idea,” King says, given how geographically-condensed Indianapolis is. If Dallas or Los Angeles were to win the bid for 2023, one GM expects many coaches will stay away because it would become “a huge time-suck” of commuting by car. No coaches means less drama for the TV cameras, King notes. He believes the combine will stay in the heartland for another year at least.

Day 4 winners, losers as DBs close out 2022 combine, Texas boys dominate :: Cowboys Wire

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Several defensive backs from the Lone Star State shone rather brightly as the combine came to a close. Helping their draft day stock were Tariq Woolen from UTSA, Kalon Barnes and J.T. Woods from Baylor, and Zyon McCollum from Sam Houston State. Georgia’s Lewis Cine and Iowa’s Dane Belton- both safeties- also impressed with high scores.

The future of NFL defenses lies in a lime-green dot :: The Ringer

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The Cowboys were one of just six teams to allow a defensive back to have the in-helmet headset last season. (It was Jayron Kearse, who split the duties throughout the season with rookie Micah Parsons.) That’s up from three teams in 2020, and it signals a growing shift for the technology that was first permitted in 2008. Once reserved almost exclusively for linebackers, the dot is now being worn by more safeties, showing how they’re gradually evolving to be the true “quarterbacks of the defense” on many squads.

Roger Staubach, and now Troy Aikman, are the models for post-Dallas Cowboys careers :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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Staubach used his Cowboys ties to remain relevant and connected to the team even long after hanging up his cleats. It’s helped him in his business endeavors and cemented his status as a Dallas icon. Now Aikman has followed his example to a T. “He’s been an example,” Aikman said. “A lot of things that I have done in business, a big part is because of Roger. He’s been the standard.”

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