If the Cowboys don't put the franchise tag on any of their free agents, which one of them do you think will get the biggest contract? – DONALD LEWIS
David: I typically weigh the value of the position when I think about that, but I actually don't think the answer is Randy Gregory in this instance – mainly because Gregory doesn't have the full body of work to merit that type of contract. I think we might be surprised by the size of the deal Dalton Schultz gets himself on the open market. I think it's going to be a pretty big number.
Rob: Yeah, I'm not so sure the Cowboys will use the tag this year. If not, it'll be interesting to see what the market will look like for the top Cowboys free agents if they hit free agency. Even though it's very tough to predict the size of Randy Gregory's next deal, I'll say Gregory mainly because of the position he plays. The franchise tag figure for DE is expected to be around $20 million, so that tells you how important edge rushers are league wide. I know Gregory really hasn't played a ton of football since entering the league in 2015, but he showed last year he can be a difference maker up front.
Do you think the Dan Quinn/Mike McCarthy working relationship was damaged during this year's coaching carousel negotiations? – LES HOFFMAN / PELL CITY, AL
David: I'm going to take McCarthy at his word that everything is fine. I thought he was impressively candid last week when he told Rich Eisen that he might have been apprehensive about Quinn working here 10-12 years ago. At this point in his career, I think he understands that scrutiny comes with the job – especially when the job is in Dallas. On top of that, I think Quinn and McCarthy both understand that everything will take care of itself if you win. As McCarthy himself said, the Cowboys have a better shot to win with Quinn. That should be more than enough reason for everyone to get along fine.
Rob: If the working relationship was an issue for Mike McCarthy, I don't think he would've been so involved in lobbying for Dan Quinn to return. They had a great rapport last year, and when you think about it, they've got a lot in common. Both were successful coaches elsewhere but had to step back and self-evaluate what went wrong when they left Green Bay and Atlanta, respectively. Both are determined to make it back to the Super Bowl. So no, I don't think anything has been damaged.
