NEWSLETTER
NFL Notes —
Despite not having a contract extension in place (or even in sight), Dak Prescott doesn’t plan on skipping any Cowboys offseason activities.
Dak Prescott on Extension Talks: “I don’t play for money”
Despite entering the final year of his contract with the Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott was one of the first on the field at the Cowboys‘ OTAs on Wednesday. Prescott says he has no plans to miss any offseason activities due to contract negotiations (or lack thereof).
“Right now, it’s about being my best for this team at this moment, OTAs, helping these guys out,” Prescott said after the OTA session that was moved inside the Ford Center because of thunderstorms. “Just focused on that. I know my business will take care of itself. Been in it before, experienced and just controlling what I can right now.”
Prescott said he doesn’t play for money and will leave all discussions surrounding his contract to his agent.
“I don’t play for money,” he said. “Never have, never cared for it, to be honest with you. Would give it up just to play this game. I allow the business people to say what it’s worth, what they’re supposed to give a quarterback of my play, a person of my play, leader of my play, I guess you could say. For me, it’s about controlling what I can control and handle that part and the rest will take care of itself.”
This isn’t the first time Prescott has played for the Cowboys while seeking a long-term deal. In 2020, he played on the franchise tag and suffered a season-ending ankle injury during Week 5. Still, the Cowboys rewarded Prescott with a four-year, $160 million contract the following spring.
That contract made Prescott the second-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL behind Patrick Mahomes at the time. What will this one bring?
Rookie Sleepers Who Could Make an Impact this Season
Some NFL Draft sleepers could impact their teams in year one.
Jaylen Wright | RB | MIA
Devon Achane was one of the surprise breakout rookies of the 2023 season for the Dolphins, and there’s a good chance that they’ll have another one this season in former Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright. Miami took Wright in the fourth round last month, and he’s a perfect fit for Mike McDaniel’s speed-driven offense. Wright was a home run hitter at Tennessee, averaging north of seven yards per carry for the Volunteers.
Brenden Rice | WR | LAC
Rice slid into the seventh round in last month’s NFL Draft despite being a Top 100 prospect on many big boards. He joins a reworked wide receivers room in Los Angeles that features Quentin Johnston (who had an underwhelming rookie season), fellow rookie Ladd McConkey, and special teamer Derius Davis. Rice will have a shot to become a favorite target of Justin Herbert this summer.
Devontez Walker | WR | BAL
The Ravens’ addition of Zay Flowers was a big one last season. Flowers had a tremendous rookie season and helped Lamar Jackson stretch the field. Walker has the same opportunity this season with Baltimore’s receiver room still relatively thin.
Lamar Jackson Slims Down, Says Ravens Have to Learn to Finish
Lamar Jackson said in a recent segment with Complex Sports that he’s down to 205 pounds, his lowest listed weight since entering the league in 2018. Jackson said that he lost the weight so that he could be “more agile and be able to move more.”
Jackson said on Wednesday at Ravens OTAs that he feels great. “I feel great,” Jackson said. “It feels great to be out here with my guys, grinding and getting better.”
When asked how long it took him to get over the Ravens AFC title game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Jackson responded: “Now.”
“I believe that just motivated us throughout the whole offseason,” Jackson said. “People are still talking about it; us players still talk about it. It definitely left a bitter taste in our mouths just being that close. We worked so hard to get there and didn’t do what we wanted to do, didn’t fulfill our dream. Definitely a little chip on our shoulder.”
Jackson said that he knows that the Ravens have to learn to finish in big games this season.
“I believe it hurts more losing before the Super Bowl than actually being a part of it because we worked so hard for 17 weeks, plus the little playoff games, and we get to a game away and lose,” Jackson said. “We didn’t really put any points on the board, and we were just scoring 30 points against crazy teams — great defenses. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great defense as well, but we had played the top-ranked defenses. We just have to finish. We have to find a way to move the ball in the right direction and put points on the board because our defense did their thing the whole night.”
