Football has a funny way of taking unexpected turns. Literally, the balls do that on the field, oftentimes creating havoc and unexpected results. But what we think we know about football and the long-term plans of NFL teams changes just as regularly. Last year at this time, the biggest debate around the NFL was whether you want Dak Prescott or Carson Wentz as your long-term quarterback.

Both were good answers, but Cowboys and Eagles fans were adamant their guy was THE guy. After the 2017 season, things have changed rather dramatically. Wentz would win in a landslide right now, despite entering 2018 with questions about his health after suffering a torn ACL late last year. He was Tom Brady's primary MVP competition until that injury and helped set up the Eagles for their Super Bowl run.

Prescott, meanwhile, took a step back last year. His completion percentage dropped from 67 percent to 62 percent, his yards dropped from 3,667 to 3,324, his touchdowns flatlined and his interceptions spiked from four to 13. None of it was unreasonable considering the rookie year he had, but he definitely was not as good as he was in 2016, even if there is a little bit more hand-wringing being done over his season than perhaps necessary.

But it brings into question the future of the Cowboys quarterback. Does Dallas just automatically pay him what franchise quarterbacks are making after 2018? Patrik Walker of 247 Sports (and @VoiceOfTheStar on Twitter) joined me on the Pick Six Podcast -- subscribe for 30 minutes or so of daily football content: via iTunes | via Stitcher | via TuneIn | via Google Play -- to examine the Cowboys 2018 draft, the upcoming season and the conversation naturally drifted towards Dak.

"This offseason, [the Cowboys have] been studying film from his career at Mississippi State and they're looking to steal ideas and techniques in how they can structure the Cowboys offense to most benefit Dak Prescott. Because like you said, he is not Tony Romo in terms of the same skillset. So the sandlot ball, the Brett Favre Ball, for lack of a better way to put it, is out the window. Dak is not the gunslinger that Tony Romo was. Dak needs a structured environment," Walker noted. "There are still some fundamentals he needs to work on: footwork, timing, consistent accuracy. So whereas he's the highest-graded quarterback in the NFL with tight-window passes, consistently making down the field passes, those back-shoulder throws, things of that nature, he's admitted himself he needs to improve upon that. 

"But once he gets those fundamentals down -- and hopefully he will this season -- if they can tweak this system in a way that fully utilizes all of his skillset -- his mobility, his duel-threat nature, you've got Ezekiel Elliott back there, the five linemen we just talked about and now you toss in great route-runners -- they're really setting up Dak Prescott to succeed in 2018."

Walker believes in Dak, believes in the Cowboys' ability to put an offense around Dak, but does admit that if things were to go south in 2018, it would make life interesting for the Joneses. 

"He's going to have to, because ideally you want to start talking extension on the back end of this third year with your quarterback," Walker pointed out. "They don't get a fifth-year option for him. He was a fourth-round compensatory pick. So if he does not impress, or he lays an egg or he doesn't move forward as he should ... it's going to be a really challenging offseason as far as deciding what's going on."

This is pretty crazy. Travel back in time a year and tell someone that Dak isn't going to sign a long-term deal with the Cowboys and they would look at you like you're an insane person. He probably still will; the Cowboys are potentially do for a nice bounceback in 2018, even with a tough schedule and a weakened wide receiver corps.

But if Dak flat lines or takes a step back in 2018, all bets could be off about the Cowboys moving forward.

Check the rundown and listen to the full show below, subscribe to get daily football content to your favorite podcast app (via iTunes | via Stitcher | via TuneIn | via Google Play) and holler at me on Twitter with questions @WillBrinson.  

1. Thoughts on the Cowboys draft

2. Are there enough weapons to make the offense "Dak Friendly?"

3. Who's going to fill the void left by Jason Witten?

4. Could these receivers end up making the Cowboys offense more structured?

5. Is the Cowboys defense good?

6. Predicting over/under 8 games for the Cowboys