What Derek Stingley raising the cornerback market means for Cowboys, DaRon Bland

The Carolina Panthers have been met with loads of raised eyebrows. As free company exercise was taking off they signed cornerback Jaycee Horn to a four-year, $100M extension ($70M assured). Because the Panthers paid Horn, they formally made him the highest-paid cornerback within the league from an annual common worth perspective.

Horn was taken within the first spherical of the 2021 NFL Draft a bit earlier than earlier than Micah Parsons, and the entire extension was a bit bit shocking. Horn has been an okay participant so far in his profession, however we’re speaking about making him the highest-paid cornerback in the complete NFL. That felt a bit wealthy.

The Panthers clearly have quarterback Bryce Younger on a rookie contract (we’ll see how that goes) and due to this fact have some extra monetary freedom than different groups, however perhaps their motivation was extra about getting in entrance of the pack than the rest. This was evidenced by Monday’s information of the Houston Texans locking up Derek Stingley Jr. to a deal that now makes him the league’s top-paid nook.

Stingley’s extension is simply of the three-year selection, however the AAV is considerably greater than Horn’s and is available in at $30M per 12 months. The Panthers have already got fairly the discount on their arms.

This precept is among the many most important for NFL entrance workplace’s to grasp. When it’s your flip to pay the piper you achieve this and perceive that it was merely your flip as famous. However the excellent news is that coming across the nook is the time for another person to take action and the piper costs everybody market fee which continues to go up and up.

Horn and Stingley are each cornerbacks, and the Cowboys have an impending resolution to make on that place. The latter is a member of the 2022 NFL Draft class and so is present Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland. You’ll recall that Bland led the group in interceptions as a rookie earlier than setting the league document for many choose sixes in a season as NFL sophomore.

Like Stingley, Bland is eligible for an extension for the primary time in his profession this offseason. Getting forward of that deal could be sensible, even with the Horn and Stingley offers already executed (Kansas Metropolis Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie is one other domino that can possible fall quickly). The piper has turned the nook and is trying Dallas sq. within the face. They’re among the many groups who’re eligible to take a flip and they’d be sensible to take action.

Whereas we discuss a lot about how the Cowboys are historically late on offers like this it is very important remind everybody that that’s not at all times the case. The Cowboys have been early on a deal for Bland’s fellow cornerback in Trevon Diggs, a call that individuals consider now was a mistake on condition that he has had damage points. There may be even query about what Diggs’ future is and whether or not that’s with the Cowboys.

However take into account that the Cowboys have a capability to flee the contract with Diggs now and never later as a result of they bought it executed once they did. The thought course of, philosophy and general disposition behind getting it executed early stay sound, and what’s extra, if there are actually questions on whether or not or not Diggs goes to be part of the group’s future then that may increase the significance of Bland which might function additional motivation to get this executed and to take action as quickly as doable.

It’s possible you’ll not have seen, however the final line of the Adam Schefter tweet notes that the Stingley deal was negotiated by David Mulugheta of Athletes First, the identical illustration that Micah Parsons has.

This complete factor has one inevitable consequence, whether or not we’re speaking bout Parsons or Bland, and the Cowboys could be greatest served to grasp that as shortly as doable.