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Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

Regardless of what the Dallas Cowboys did with quarterback Dak Prescott this month, it was going to be their top potential regret. Sign him to a long-term deal? Risky considering the financial commitment. Let him walk? Even riskier considering the element of the unknown and door No. 2.

The franchise tag might be a perfect happy medium, but the Cowboys could eventually regret going that route.

Prescott has already suggested he'll hold out, which is never good. And if bad blood emerges, it could make it even harder to strike a long-term deal. If he performs well again in 2020 and the salary cap continues to skyrocket as expected, Dallas could cost itself millions of dollars by not caving earlier.

And by using the exclusive tag in order to prevent Prescott from negotiating with other teams, the Cowboys cost themselves about $5 million more in 2020 cap space.

A non-exclusive tag could have enabled the Cowboys to get a better feel for Prescott's value. They still would have had the right to match any offer Prescott received, and if it were out of their range, they could have let Prescott go in exchange for two first-round picks. If Prescott's market wasn't as strong as expected, they would have gained leverage in long-term negotiations.

In that respect, there's little upside associated with an exclusive tag.

And now, they're left with a huge 2020 cap hit for Prescott. The third-highest in the league, in fact, at $30.1 million. And a team hasn't won the Super Bowl with a quarterback having a top-five cap hit since 2011.

The Cowboys were in a tough spot from the get-go, and there's a decent chance they'll lament their approach.