The Cowboys haven't played tag too often over the last 27 years, but Dak Prescott is the most recent player to receive the franchise tender.
Here's what we know: Prescott, at the moment, will make a club-record $31.4 million on the franchise tag in 2020 unless he and the Cowboys can reach a long-term extension by July 15.
The tag – a one-year, guaranteed contract comprising the average of the NFL's top salaries at a player's specific position – has been used eight times by the Cowboys since the league adopted it in 1993. Primarily, it has been a placeholder to continue negotiating a new deal with a key starter. That's the goal with Prescott, too.
Let's look back at the Cowboys' past tag decisions and how they panned out:
The Cowboys haven't played tag too often over the last 27 years, but Dak Prescott is the most recent player to receive the franchise tender.
![Flozell Adams (2002): After completing his fourth NFL season, Adams became the first Cowboys player to receive the tag. The former second-round pick played the 2002 season on the $4.9 million tender. The following spring, with new head coach Bill Parcells' blessing, the Cowboys signed Adams to a lucrative five-year extension. He went on to make the Pro Bowl five of the next six years at left tackle.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/cowboys/wjkh70j36efku7ogd64v.jpg)
Flozell Adams (2002): After completing his fourth NFL season, Adams became the first Cowboys player to receive the tag. The former second-round pick played the 2002 season on the $4.9 million tender. The following spring, with new head coach Bill Parcells' blessing, the Cowboys signed Adams to a lucrative five-year extension. He went on to make the Pro Bowl five of the next six years at left tackle.
![Ken Hamlin (2008): The Cowboys franchised Hamlin ($4.4 million) after he delivered a Pro Bowl season on a one-year deal in 2007, helping Dallas win a franchise-record tying 13 games. The Cowboys signed Hamlin to a new six-year, $39 million contract a few months after franchising him. He was released in 2010 after recording one interception the first two years of the new deal.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/cowboys/g8axnlrucijmonokko5x.jpg)
Ken Hamlin (2008): The Cowboys franchised Hamlin ($4.4 million) after he delivered a Pro Bowl season on a one-year deal in 2007, helping Dallas win a franchise-record tying 13 games. The Cowboys signed Hamlin to a new six-year, $39 million contract a few months after franchising him. He was released in 2010 after recording one interception the first two years of the new deal.
![Anthony Spencer (2012): Spencer, one of two Cowboys first-round picks in 2007, played on the one-year, $8.8 million tag in 2012. He delivered a career-high 94 tackles and 11 sacks to make his first and only Pro Bowl.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/cowboys/rhzqapi1dqwy5k2sbzot.jpg)
Anthony Spencer (2012): Spencer, one of two Cowboys first-round picks in 2007, played on the one-year, $8.8 million tag in 2012. He delivered a career-high 94 tackles and 11 sacks to make his first and only Pro Bowl.
![Anthony Spencer (2013): Spencer became the first Cowboys player to receive the tag in consecutive years. He signed it a week after the Cowboys issued the one-year, $10.6 million tender, but played only one game due to a knee injury that required microfracture surgery. He played only one more season with the Cowboys.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/cowboys/k3ruopedpxds8b9naghg.jpg)
Anthony Spencer (2013): Spencer became the first Cowboys player to receive the tag in consecutive years. He signed it a week after the Cowboys issued the one-year, $10.6 million tender, but played only one game due to a knee injury that required microfracture surgery. He played only one more season with the Cowboys.
![Dez Bryant (2015): This one went right down to the buzzer. After Bryant skipped offseason workouts seeking a long-term deal, he and the Cowboys agreed to a five-year, $70 million contract just before the July 15, 2015 negotiating deadline. Injuries limited him to 22 games over the next two years, and the Cowboys released him after the 2018 season.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/cowboys/te5cbknibzcfkfydzif4.jpg)
Dez Bryant (2015): This one went right down to the buzzer. After Bryant skipped offseason workouts seeking a long-term deal, he and the Cowboys agreed to a five-year, $70 million contract just before the July 15, 2015 negotiating deadline. Injuries limited him to 22 games over the next two years, and the Cowboys released him after the 2018 season.
![DeMarcus Lawrence (2018): Lawrence signed his first franchise tag hours after the Cowboys offered him the one-year, $17.1 million tender. Fresh off a 2017 season in which he posted 14.5 sacks, the most by a Cowboys player since DeMarcus Ware's 15.5 in 2010, Lawrence set out to produce another Pro Bowl season.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/cowboys/qqhlsdgedboiwxityyop.jpg)
DeMarcus Lawrence (2018): Lawrence signed his first franchise tag hours after the Cowboys offered him the one-year, $17.1 million tender. Fresh off a 2017 season in which he posted 14.5 sacks, the most by a Cowboys player since DeMarcus Ware's 15.5 in 2010, Lawrence set out to produce another Pro Bowl season.
![DeMarcus Lawrence (2019): Lawrence did just that, making his second career Pro Bowl with 10.5 sacks despite a shoulder injury that required surgery. The Cowboys initially franchised him again ($20.5 million) but both sides worked out a club-record $105 million extension in April 2019.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/cowboys/hygj9eopjfnkecslebno.jpg)
DeMarcus Lawrence (2019): Lawrence did just that, making his second career Pro Bowl with 10.5 sacks despite a shoulder injury that required surgery. The Cowboys initially franchised him again ($20.5 million) but both sides worked out a club-record $105 million extension in April 2019.
![Dak Prescott (2020): The Cowboys' front office has stated their top offseason priority is re-signing Prescott long term after his career season in 2019. Prescott has said repeatedly over the past year that he wants to be a Cowboy long term. Will a deal get done in the next three weeks? We'll just have to wait and see.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/cowboys/xiwjxjssv2nbys2zml1e.jpg)
Dak Prescott (2020): The Cowboys' front office has stated their top offseason priority is re-signing Prescott long term after his career season in 2019. Prescott has said repeatedly over the past year that he wants to be a Cowboy long term. Will a deal get done in the next three weeks? We'll just have to wait and see.