The Dallas Cowboys are always under scrutiny, even when they do everything right. Rather than focusing on the success this organization has drafting and developing players, everyone is focused on the Cowboys’ inability to pay their star players. Is this true? Are the Cowboys inept as a front-office organization with the big contracts looming for CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, and Dak Prescott?

First and foremost, we need to congratulate Will McClay. When other NFL teams have mediocre to below-average drafts, the Cowboys seem to find key contributors in the draft. This enables the Cowboys not to be big spenders in free agency, understanding they will get younger players who can grow into the system in place.

But whenever you draft super well, you have to pay super well or risk losing players to the other 31 teams in the NFL. So on the surface, it feels like the Dallas Cowboys can’t pay everybody. It feels like the Cowboys can’t retain all three… but can you? Do you want to?

If you’re wondering if the Cowboys want to keep Lamb, Parsons, and Prescott, the answer is unequivocally yes. Lamb is a top 5 wide receiver at his position, Parsons is a top 5 defensive player in the NFL, and Prescott finished 2nd in MVP voting last year behind Patrick Mahomes. These three are vital to the team’s success over the next 4-5 years. Disregard the memes on social media and the unwarranted hate on an individual for a TEAM’s lack of success in the postseason, especially since without that person, the team would be in deep trouble.

The team’s success is dependent on balancing the checkbook. Can you retain three of your best players, while allocating funds to surround the rest of the team?

It’s not about the big numbers you see in ESPN’s headlines. It’s about the cap hit percentage.

Here is a Top 10 list of the cap hit and cap hit percentage for the Dallas Cowboys right now in 2024 from Spoctrac, which adds up to 63.6% of the Cowboys salary cap.

1. 1. Dak Prescott (55.45 mil, 21.7%)
   2. DeMarcus Lawrence (20.45 mil, 8%)
   3. CeeDee Lamb (18 mil, 7%)
   4. Zack Martin (15.5 mil, 6.1%)
   5. Trevon Diggs (14.1 mil, 5.5%)
   6. Terence Steele (11 mil, 4.3%)
   7. Brandin Cooks (10 mil, 3.9%)
   8. Donovan Wilson (7.4 mil, 2.9%)
   9. Micah Parsons (5.4 mil, 2.1%)
   10. Trey Lance (5.3 mil, 2.1%)

Looking at that list, we can see a lot of players are still making up a small percentage of the team’s salary cap. If you factor in aging Lawrence and Martin restructuring their deals, those percentages will decrease. Could a combined 14.1% cap hit for these two turn into 9%?

Brandin Cooks, due to age, and Trey Lance, for opportunity elsewhere, likely aren’t on this team long-term. If the team loses Cooks and Lance, that’s 15.3 million and 5%.

Dak Prescott currently has a $55.45 million cap hit right now. It’s a massive 21.7% cap hit, a big reason why the Cowboys weren’t active in free agency. By extending Dak Prescott, you immediately pull that number down. Joe Burrow is currently 11.6% of Cincinnati’s cap hit and is recognized as the highest-paid QB in the NFL. If you give Dak Prescott the extension and give him money similar to Joe Burrow, Dak is taking up around 11.7% and you save that 10% for the rest of the team.

Justin Jefferson just became the highest-paid player in NFL history who doesn’t play the quarterback position. His cap hit jumps from $8.5 million this year to $39 and $43 million in the years 2026 and 2027. He’ll have a 14% cap hit. If CeeDee Lamb gets money similar to Justin Jefferson, that will be a 15% cap hit.

Nick Bosa is the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. His cap hit is $14.7 million this year (5.74% cap hit) and jumps to $52 million at 16.63% in 2027. We assume he will restructure his deal with the 49ers so the percentage number will go down. If Micah Parsons gets a similar number, he can have 17% of that cap hit with his new deal.

Add those together, we’re around 43.7% of your team’s funds towards these three players. So theoretically you have 20% left to allocate for players 4-10. That is plenty.

If there’s a plus about having Jerry Jones, it’s his knowledge of what the salary cap will be 5 years from now. The Cowboys can use that to their advantage to work the percentages. This allows Dallas to retain their three best players, all while filling out the rest of the roster and competing in the playoffs.