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The Dallas Cowboys are like every other NFL team; they have great contracts that they get more out of than they are worth, and there are other contracts that do more harm than good for the team.
For Dallas, QB Dak Prescott is their highest-paid player and was a borderline top-five quarterback before suffering a season-ending injury. Even though he missed most of the 2020 season, he's still worth the large payday.
WR Michael Gallup might be one of the cheapest contracts where the Dallas Cowboys are getting more bang for the buck.
All things considered, here are the three best- and worst-valued contracts for the Dallas Cowboys entering 2021.
3 Best-valued contracts for the Dallas Cowboys
#1 - OT Tyron Smith
Tyron Smith signed his eight-year, $97 million contract in 2014 and is entering the final year. After averaging $12.2 million per year, Smith has become one of the top-tier tackles in the league but others like Trenton Williams are getting almost double the pay at $23 million per year.
Back in 2014, the Dallas Cowboys gave him one of the most expensive deals for a tackle. In the final year, his cap hit is $17.5 million and at 30 years old, he could have several good years left.
#2 - WR Michael Gallup
Michael Gallup still has one year left on his rookie deal with a $2.65 million cap hit. In 2019, he had 66 catches for 1,107 yards and six TDs. In 2020, he had 59 catches for 843 yards and five TDs, but that was without Dak Prescott for most of the season.
The Dallas Cowboys basically have a WR3 for just under $3 million that rivals other teams' WR1. He's due a big payday next year; whether or not it's with Dallas remains to be seen. At least they have a solid WR for pennies on the dollar for another season.
#3 - WR CeeDee Lamb
CeeDee Lamb nearly hit 1,000 yards as a rookie and did so without Dak Prescott. As a first-round pick in 2020, he had 74 catches for 935 yards and five TDs (58.4 yards per game). His cap hit in 2021 will be just over $3 million and $3.8 million the following year. The Dallas Cowboys have two 1,000-yard WRs for under $4 million each. That's just good business.
3 Worst-valued contracts for the Dallas Cowboys
#1 - LB Jaylon Smith
Jaylon Smith is one of the top-ten highest-paid LBs at over $12.75 million per year. He was also one of the lowest-graded starters by PFF. His 2021 salary is nearly fully guaranteed, but at least there's an out in 2022 when the Dallas Cowboys can save $5 million with his release.
There's a chance he could be a $12 million LB again with Dan Quinn, though.
#2 - RB Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elliott received a six-year, $90 million extension in 2019 with a 2021 cap hit of $13.7 milion. The cap hit in 2022 is $16.5 million and $15 million in 2023.
Elliott had a career-low year in 2020 without Dak Prescott on the field and he didn't seem as explosive either. In 15 games, he had 244 carries for 979 yards and six TDs (four yards per carry and 65.3 yards per game), and 1,317 total yards from scrimmage.
He's tied for the second-highest average salary for an RB with Alvin Kamara (Christian McCaffrey has the highest at $16 million). Ezekiel Elliott was 11th in rushing yards, 41st in average yards per carry, and 14th in yards per game last year.
#3 - EDGE Demarcus Lawrence
Demarcus Lawrence was a second-round pick in 2014 with a 2021 cap hit of $25 million. It increases to $27 million in 2022 and $29 million in 2023. In 2024, there is a void to maximize cap savings.
In 2019, Lawrence signed a five-year, $105 million contract. Since then, he has had six forced fumbles, 11.5 sacks, 103 tackles and 21 tackles for loss. He's the third-most-paid EDGE at $21 million per year with Myles Garrett ($25 million) and Khalil Mack ($23.5 million) ahead of him.
Lawrence was 37th in the NFL in sacks, 86th in QB hits and 24th in tackles for loss in 2020. Teams want stats from their pass-rushers, but Lawrence has struggled even though he's one of the best technical players on the Dallas Cowboys roster.
