The Cowboys are known for having long, drawn-out contract negotiations, but could things shift this offseason?
The Dallas Cowboys and long-term contracts aren't exactly the best of friends, often taking longer than needed to complete.
We saw it with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and well, we saw what happened with Micah Parsons.
But now Jerry Jones and the front office have the chance to prove that leopards can change their spots.
Granted, Dak, CeeDee, and Micah's contracts were all top-of-the-market, but now comes All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey.
A restricted free agent, Dallas can still match any offer for him, but why do that?
Hop on the front foot and get the deal done.
And as far as our own Mike Fisher is concerned? Well, he predicts that Jerry and the front office will move this thing along much faster than in previous deals.
“He’s a hometown guy and a perennial Pro Bowler and early last season Dallas did talk contract - so the intentions here are clear,” Fish wrote. “Aubrey is a restricted free agent, so the Cowboys could sit back and simply match any offer that is made to him.
“Dallas will be aggressivein signing the 31-year-old to the biggest kicker deal in NFL history: four years and $26.4 million.”
Fish's prediction has Aubrey earning $6.6 million APY, a little more than Harrison Butker, who is currently the highest-paid kicker in football ($6.4 million APY.
In truth, if Dallas offered Aubrey an APY of $7 million, this deal would still be viewed favorably by Cowboys Nation.
And the reason is Aubrey's contract, while making him the highest-paid in football, is "only" $6.6 million. That's pocket change.
So, the Cowboys have a chance to buck the trend here.
Keeping Aubrey is a no-brainer, and we say, so too is getting on the front office and offering a fair deal for one of the NFL's most lethal weapons.
If Dallas is proactive and signs Aubrey without the circus show that usually accompanies Cowboys contracts, that will be a big breath of fresh air for the franchise.
And might hint that changes are actually happening for the better inside The Star.