The general thinking among many Cowboys fans is that we let Dak walk...or trade him for assets. Then we either draft a QB or sign a mid-tier free agent. With the cost savings, we'd plug the extra money into the defense with good FA signings and then supplement our offensive line and defense through the draft.
Problem #1 = QB's that are solid/good/very good are hard to come by. A high/mid draft pick for QB is another potential defensive playmaker that slips through to another team.
Problem #2 = Free agents are poor value unless they are young & cheap. Top-shelf free agents that can actually impact the defense......you end up paying for what they are at the time you sign them, based on what they have already done........not on what they WILL DO. After the first year or two, you're saddled with an expensive player that is likely declining and may not be easy to dump. QB is an exception along with certain offensive line positions as these guys can have prolonged peaks. QB's don't seem to start peaking until their 30's nowadays.
Dak or no Dak.......Boys need to get that defense up to snuff. Not just drafting but actually hitting on the picks.