The Dallas Cowboys finally got Dak Prescott a proven No. 2 wide receiver when they traded for George Pickens. A new cornerback wouldn't hurt, but the next order of business for the front office has to be getting their contract extension ducks in a row.
Micah Parsons' negotiations could extend well into the summer, but Dallas has myriad other extension-eligible players on the roster. The list is headlined by left guard Tyler Smith, cornerback DaRon Bland and kicker Brandon Aubrey.
With back-to-back Pro Bowls and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2023, Smith has established himself as one of the best guards in football and is only getting better. He's in line to get a potentially market-setting extension whenever Jerry Jones and Co. decided to initiate negotiations.
With talks hopefully around the corner, Smith has made a notable power play. The Fort Worth native has joined Athletes First and will be represented by Joe Panos and Todd France.
Cowboys star OL Tyler Smith switches agent before contract talks
Smith joins a long list of Cowboys who are represented by Athletes First. They have negotiated record-setting deals for Dak Prescott and will soon do so for Parsons. In addition to Prescott and Parsons, Bland and Aubrey are also represented by the agency.
The Cowboys should have a good idea of what Smith wants in his new deal after the Eagles inked standout left guard Landon Dickerson to a four-year, $84 million contract last offseason.
Dickerson's $21 million annual average value is currently the highest amongst left guards. However, the Colts' Quenton Nelson has him beat in total guaranteed money ($60 million) and fully guaranteed ($41 million). The right guard market is set at $20 million per year, so it's very similar.
We are merely spit-balling, but with that context a four-year, $88 million deal with $45 million fully guaranteed could appease Smith.
That is easier said than done, but Smith might top the Cowboys' extension pecking order (behind Parsons obviously) given their history of investing in the offensive line. The former first-round pick is comfortably the team's best offensive lineman and he's a leader in the locker room. He's allowed just 10 sacks on 1,784 pass-blocking snaps in his career.
Like Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Parsons, Smith is a no-brainer extension candidate. However, his move to Athletes First almost ensures a contract standoff looms in the future.
