NFL notebook: Cowboys to reportedly use exclusive tag on Prescott

[March 03, 2020]  Dak Prescott will receive the exclusive franchise tag as the Dallas Cowboys continue to push for a long-term deal.

According to multiple reports, the Cowboys are focused on signing Prescott to a multi-year contract. The exclusive franchise tag prevents players from negotiating with other teams, effectively ending all aspects of free agency outside of the player's current team.

Prescott and the Cowboys discussed a long-term deal last week in Indianapolis. Owner Jerry Jones would not call the talks "progress" but rather said he was resigned to the fact that Dallas would have to do a deal to keep Prescott.

Prescott could command between $35 million and $40 million per season, according to reports. But first-year coach Mike McCarthy said the Cowboys are 100 percent committed to building their team around Prescott.

-Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is ready to move on from the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the team plan to use the franchise tag to keep him in Jacksonville in the near term.

The Jaguars are expected to use the franchise designation to reserve refusal rights with Ngakoue's contract. The franchise tag would carry a one-year salary of $19.3 million. Ngakoue turns 25 on March 31 but has already posted 37.5 sacks, which ranks second in franchise history.

If the Jaguars use the tag, a trade could be the goal for Ngakoue, much like the Seattle Seahawks with defensive end Frank Clark last spring. Clark was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs and signed a $104 million deal with the eventual Super Bowl champions.

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) and quarterback Dak Prescott (4) run onto the field before a game against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

-The Washington Redskins will use the franchise tag on guard Brandon Scherff, according to an ESPN.com report.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Scherff has started 65 games and earned three Pro Bowl selections in five seasons with Washington.

The 28-year-old missed five games in 2019 with elbow and shoulder injuries and missed the last eight games in 2018 with a torn pectoral muscle. Scherff would earn approximately $15 million under the tag.

-Field Level Media

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