What Do NFL's New Deadline Dates Mean to Cowboys Dak & Amari?

Reported New Deadline Dates Are Tangled Up With New CBA Developments. What Do the Changes Mean to the Dallas Cowboys and Free Agents Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper?

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FRISCO - The possibility of a new CBA being approved before the start of the new league year on March 18 forces a possible change in Dallas Cowboys strategy as it relates to contract talks with Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper.

Does a reported new deadline date mean another strategic shift?

Late last week, the NFL and NFLPA seemed to be closing in on an agreement on a new labor agreement. That's good news for all involved.

But previous to any agreement, in the final year of a CBA, teams can use two tags to retain contractual rights to their own free agents. Conventional wisdom: Without new deals for Dak and Amari, Dallas would've placed the non-exclusive tag on the QB and the transition tag on the receiver.

But a CBA agreement would mean a team only has one tag to use if the parties can’t reach an agreement before the start of free agency. So if neither guy is signed? Dak gets tagged ... and Amari gets to walk.

As the agreement previously read, starting Feb. 25, NFL clubs could place the franchise tag and/or transition tag on designated players, and they had until March 10 to use it.

Per a report from ESPN, the sides have agreed to a slight shift in the deadlines. the window now doesn't open unti Feb. 28, and the tag decision doesn't have to be made until March 12.

Does this provide the Cowboys some breathing room when it comes to negotiations? It may seem counterintuitive, but the practical answer is "no.''

A CBA agreement would create urgency because a talented player could be lost. But the extra two days to negotiate is truly meaningless, for this reason:

There is nothing the Cowboys, the reps for Prescott and the reps for Cooper can say to each other in that extra 48 hours that can't be said in what is as of today a 17-day window.

And now there's this: Stephen Jones conceded on Monday at the Combine that the Cowboys "won't move forward'' on negotiations until there is more CBA clarity.

.@DallasCowboys 'Won't Move Forward' With Deals on Dak and Amari Until CBA Settled https://t.co/9cjmmdNO1f via @SInow pic.twitter.com/synIBQzIo6

— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) February 24, 2020

All of this creates odd scenarios for all involved, but Cooper's may be the most fascinating. Short of him receiving the gigantic long-term deal he seeks, he could find himself actually rooting for a CBA agreement but against a Dak signing, in which case he avoids the tag and becomes a completely unfettered free agent.