https://sports.yahoo.com/article/maxx-crosby-deal-came-together-200414445.html
At a time when the Cowboys routinely dig in their spurs when it comes to re-signing their core players, the Raiders have shown them how it’s done.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the new contract for star pass rusher Maxx Crosby came together very quickly, literally in a few hours.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, spend far more time making excuses regarding their failure to find a way to turn words into action.
“We get criticized because we wait until the end or what you would call the end, and that is lining up for the first game,” owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday. “It just happens that way. I’ve been one of the earliest out there on several contracts in my 35 years.”
It’s easy to make bold, broad claims when stubborn things like facts aren’t included in the discussion. The reality is that, in recent years, the Cowboys have waited way too long with too many players they were going to sign anyway. From Ezekiel Elliott in 2019 to Dak Prescott in 2021 to CeeDee Lamb in 2024 to Dak Prescott (again) in 2024, the Cowboys routinely choose intransigence.
The same thing could be coming for linebacker Micah Parsons. The smart move would be to do now that which they’ll inevitably do later. It’ll create more cap space, and it’ll only become more expensive as other deals come in.
Already, Crosby has set a new bar for non-quarterbacks, at $35.5 million per year in new money. Other players, especially edge rushers, could push it even higher. Whenever the Cowboys get around to hammering out the details for Micah’s next deal, the price could be a lot higher than it would be today.
If they wanted to do it today, they could. He’s due to make $24 million this year, fully guaranteed. A five-year, $168 million contract would create a new-money average of $36 million, at an actual payout of $33.6 million annually.
Give Micah $40 million to sign. Add a $1.17 million base salary for 2025. For 2026, give him a fully-guaranteed $35 million salary with the right to convert it to a signing bonus. The 2027 salary would be $33 million, guaranteed for injury and fully guaranteed in March 2026. That’s a $109.17 million practical guarantee.
Throw in a pair of $29.415 million non-guaranteed base salaries on the back end, and that’s it.
Three hours? It could take three minutes. The Cowboys nevertheless seem content to let it take six months.
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/maxx-crosby-deal-came-together-200414445.html
