With a large amount of salary cap room and a desire for a franchise quarterback, Nick Wright of FS1 predicts a big acquisition for the New England Patriots.
Wright proposed that in 2025, following the last year of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s four-year, $160 million contract, the Patriots might sign Prescott. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Prescott and the Cowboys have decided not to extend his contract with the organization in 2025.
Wright sees the Patriots using a trade and a “Plan B” strategy to sign Prescott in 2025 because they control the No. 3 pick in the draft the following month. Wright detailed the Patriots’ 2019 salary cap and how a deal might result in Prescott being signed later.
Wright stated, “The Patriots are on the books for $200 million in cap space next year,” on Thursday’s episode of “First Things First.” “Whatever happens, what if the Patriots trade the pick three? Especially with Drake Maye in there, who seems to be loved even more.”
“Say he’s traded to Minnesota for [pick] 11 and 23 and something [else],” Wright continued. “Draft a tackle there whether it’s [Joe] Alt [Tallese] Fuaga [and] draft one of the mini stud wide receivers in this class at 23 and have the ‘Plan B’ — ‘we’re going to sign Dak Prescott.’”
“He’s an unrestricted free agent,” Wright added. “What the Cowboys’ problem is and a lot of teams’ problem is, ‘wow, you’re going to have to pay him $60 million a year and it’s gotta be back-loaded because we don’t have the room.’”
“So it’s going to be like $30 million and then $65 [million] and $70 [million],” Wright continued. “We wouldn’t have to do that if we’re the Patriots. We could do the rare front-loaded deal where his first year, the cap hit is $75 million bucks if we want … and then, it goes down.”
Wright highlighted teams the comparable salary cap space to the Patriots for 2025 — the Detroit Lions at $136.7 million and Washington Commanders at $132.59 million. Both teams will have franchise quarterbacks going into 2025, he noted. Likewise, the next top eight teams will all have established quarterbacks at that point and half the cap space of the Patriots, Wright said.
