Mailbag: What's with all the 1-year contracts?

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

I don't understand all the one-year contracts. It seems to me they set the stage for the Cowboys being in the same place again this time next year. I get it in the case of older or injured players looking for a prove it contract, but why not sign someone like Cobie Durant, who is coming off his rookie contract, to a multi-year deal if you're convinced he can help your team? – Russell White/New Smyrna Beach, FL

Nick: These guys like to bet on themselves, too. Trust me, if the Cowboys could've signed Cobie Durant for a two-year, $10 million deal, they probably would've. But Durant doesn't want that because deep down he probably believes he's still got one more chance for a big contract. So it's important for him to come to Dallas, play well and parlay that into something a little more long-term. If Durant signs anything longer than a one-year deal at this point in his career, he'll probably never have the shot for another big contract.

Look back to last year, the Cowboys signed a few players to 1-year deals. Most notably was Javonte Williams, who was looking to prove himself as well. That certainly happened and he now got paid $8 million per season on a three-year deal. That worked for Javonte. But the Cowboys also signed Miles Sanders, Dante Fowler, Payton Turner, Israel Mukuamu, Rob Jones, Jack Sanborn and C.J. Goodwin to 1-year deals as well. It doesn't appear as if any of those guys will be back with the Cowboys next year. So sometimes the 1-year deal can be just as beneficial to the team as the player.

Patrik: Stop me if you've heard this before, but free agency is a two-way street. The Cowboys love to do two-year deals instead of a one-year deal, because it helps their immediate salary cap while giving them the flexibility of ending the deal after one year with minimal cap hit, but the player has to want it. I believe what's lost in the sauce, at times, is the fact some players would prefer to sign a prove-it deal for one year to allow them to quickly get back to free agency for what they hope will be more money and better, and longer-termed offers, the following year. Not every one-year deal you see if because the team wants it. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. The player has a say as well, though (example: Javonte Williams in 2025).