Though challenging, Cowboys confident about signing Zeke, Dak, Amari

[Rowdy]

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The contracts of receiver Amari Cooper and quarterback Dak Prescott will expire after this season. Running back Ezekiel Elliott is under contract through 2020 after the Cowboys exercised the fifth-year option on his deal.

The Cowboys, though, hope to extend all three players sooner than later, with executive vice president Stephen Jones saying the team is “off and running” in contract talks.

“It’s a great problem to have, because we do have good young football players,” Jones said. “But it’s a challenge.”

The Cowboys got a long-term deal completed with defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence that made him (temporarily) the highest-paid player in team history. Cooper, Prescott and Elliott have combined for seven Pro Bowls and all are looking at deals that will make them among the highest-paid at their positions.

Jones isn’t worried about there being enough money to go around, though he added that the deals need to be team friendly for the Cowboys to have salary-cap room that will allow them to contend. The more successful the Cowboys are, Jones said, the more money players can make off the field in endorsements.

Prescott, a fourth-round pick, has made more off the field than he has in his NFL contract thus far.

“Obviously, I feel very good that we’re going easily work through – when I say easily, that’s a bad word to use – but we’re going to strategically work through getting guys like Dak and Amari and Zeke done,” Jones said. “I think we can still do others. It’s not like we’re going not be able to get that accomplished. But at the same time, as I told DeMarcus Lawrence — and I’ll tell all three of these guys – I’d love for you to max out and give you exactly what you want, because y’all have worked hard and you deserve to have a big contract, but if we want to put together the type of team we want to have with the Cowboys [then there has to be some give and take]. That’s not their job. It’s not their job to manage the cap. I understand that. But it is my job and Jerry [Jones’] job, so they will understand why we’re negotiating hard to make the very best deal we can, because the money, if we can talk them into not maxing out – doing well, but not maxed – then that allows us to have other good football players around them.

“We all know what happens. You look at the TV booths, and you look at what these players do off the field. If we can put Super Bowl rings on these guys, then they’ll be legends around this area for many, many, many years to come. What they give up a little bit in their contract, they should be able to invest in being a Cowboy and making our teams better. Now, we’ve got to go get the job done as an organization, which means winning Super Bowls and doing great things on the field.”