The Dallas Cowboys are getting ready to enter a very important off-season where franchise altering decisions will have to be made. The Cowboys don’t appear that far off from being a Super Bowl contender. With that being said, the Cowboys have been in that position before and haven’t been able to get over the hump. Today, we are going to look at three of the more important questions that will shape how the Cowboys off-season goes.

Will Dak get an extension this off-season?

Dak will be in the final year of his rookie contract in 2019. It has not yet been determined if the Cowboys will attempt to get out in front and negotiate a contract extension this off-season or if they will wait until he can become a free agent next off-season. If he is not extended, he is scheduled to make just over $2 million dollars. Dak isn’t the only player on the Cowboys that is due for a payday, which could complicate things for the Cowboys.

Dak doesn’t think it will be that complicated, as he told USA Today that “I think that the team knows to pay what’s deserved…and pay those other people at the same time what’s deserved without being frugal.”

There had been some whispers about Prescott possibly taking a team friendly deal like Tom Brady did in New England to help them pay those other players, such as Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Demarcus Lawrence and Byron Jones. When Dak was asked about that, he quickly shot that down. “Nobody’s wife makes as much money as his wife does either.”

Prediction: At the end of the day, I do think Prescott will be signed to an extension this off-season making somewhere between $25-28 million a season over 5-6 years.

Will Earl Thomas be a Cowboy?

This is a question that hasn’t gone away over the last year and a half. The talk heated up again recently when Thomas enrolled his kids into a school in Austin, Texas. Just a couple days ago, Thomas posted an NFL network clip on Instagram that showed them saying the Cowboys would be the best fit for him.  Thomas has made it known that he would love to be a Cowboy, but also that he is interested in becoming the highest paid safety in the league. Coming off a broken leg, Thomas may not be in position to demand that salary.

Prediction

Stephen Jones is on record saying that the Cowboys will not be major players in free agency this off-season, but I believe that Thomas will be a Cowboy for $7-8 million over three years. Free agency begins March 13^th.

Will Sean Lee be back with the Cowboys?

Sean Lee told multiple outlets in the past couple of days that he is expecting to come back to play in 2019. He is scheduled to make $7 million from the Cowboys, but the Cowboys can save around $3 million if they cut Lee. If Lee is back, he will no doubt have a smaller role with Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch starting. It is not guaranteed that Lee will accept that role for a full season.

Prediction

Because Sean Lee is such a team first guy and the teams love for Lee, I expect him and the Cowboys to work together to negotiate a pay cut for Lee so he can continue his career as a Cowboy.