Cowboys Should Tell Amari Cooper They're Franchise Tagging Dak Prescott to Ensure Contract Extension Gets Done

The NFL Player's Association narrowly ratified the new collective bargaining agreement on Sunday morning, and the transactions began flying throughout the day. However, with this new CBA, teams are limited to tagging just one player in an offseason.

That immediately spelled doom for the Dallas Cowboys, who reportedly planned on using the franchise and transition tags on quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper. Now, the Cowboys have the choice to tag just one player.

The decision is obvious for the Cowboys. They must tell Cooper that they're placing the franchise tag on Prescott, so they can begin negotiations on a long-term contract extension.

If reports over the past few months have shown anything, it's that the Prescott negotiations are extremely tricky, considering the quarterback's lofty asking price in terms of annual salary around $40 million and turning down a $105 million guaranteed contract. On Sunday afternoon, coming to an agreement with Prescott got even more difficult after Ryan Tannehill received a four-year contract extension, which pays him $29.5 million a year, and guarantees him a total of $91 million.

You think Prescott is going to accept anything less?

The legal tampering window opens up at noon on Monday, and Cooper will garner plenty of looks from receiver-needy teams on the open market. Teams like the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills come to mind, and they all have money to spend.

Owner Jerry Jones is currently playing ball in a minefield, and to prevent their championship window from closing, they must tag Prescott and secure Cooper on a long-term deal. Give Prescott one year to prove his worth by playing under new head coach Mike McCarthy. If he passes, then pay him next year. If not let him walk.

Cooper is valuable in his own right and if they lose him on the open market, it's their own fault.