The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott continue to work for a new long-term contract ahead of the start of free agency, but the two sides remain apart on a few issues.

According to Jane Slater of NFL Network, the guarantees in the proposed deal from the Cowboys has gone up, but "the sticking point still seems to be the years of that contract."

While Prescott wants a four-year deal, the Cowboys want to lock the quarterback down on a longer contract.

Slater also noted the deal would be worth more than what Jared Goff received from the Los Angeles Rams, which pays him $134 million over four years, per Spotrac.

Goff is currently tied for third in average annual salary at $33.5 million per year, behind only Russell Wilson and Ben Roethlisberger. 

Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News previously reported the Cowboys offered a deal worth $33 million per year with $105 million guaranteed, while ESPN's Todd Archer later added that a new offer would be at least in the neighborhood of Goff "if not more."

It now seems Prescott will at least be among the top three players in the league with his new deal.

The quarterback also realizes how much salaries continue to rise at the position, seeking a shorter contract to maintain a lot of earning power in the future.

The 26-year-old is coming off a strong season with 4,902 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, both career highs. He also engineered the No. 1 offense in the NFL in yards from scrimmage.

Dallas clearly doesn't want to let him hit free agency, although the franchise tag remains an option, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The NFL announced it has pushed back the deadline for teams to use any tags on players until Monday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Free agency would then open next Wednesday.