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The Dallas Cowboys are in the midst of a full-fledged identity crisis.
Last season, Brian Schottenheimer’s first as head coach, only the Los Angeles Rams averaged more yards than the Cowboys’ 391.9 of total offense per game, while averaging 27.7 points per game, good for third-most in the NFC.
Yet, despite quarterback Dak Prescott playing his way into the fringes of the MVP conversation, the Cowboys finished just 7-9-1.
It’s easy to guess why Matt Eberflus was fired as defensive coordinator, especially given that his scheme never came close to aligning with the personnel on the Cowboys’ roster, especially in the secondary. However, Jerry Jones flipping Micah Parsons two weeks before the regular season kicked off after spending an offseason kicking his All-Pro edge rusher in the teeth really did undercut the entire operation.
While Jerry reaches for the past, Schottenheimer is betting on the future with new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Parker, the Eagles’ former defensive backs coach, is a young, secondary-focused mind tasked with fixing a unit that looked lost without Micah’s pressure. The fact that he’s such a rising star could be a major drawing card for Dallas in free agency.
Dallas spent months last season shoving all the chips into the table for the 2025 campaign by adding an elite playmaking wide receiver in George Pickens, only to build a ceiling over the entire team’s potential by trading one of the premier defensive players in the sport.
Then, even after trading Parsons, Jones and the Cowboys flipped some of the draft capital they acquired for dominant defensive lineman Quinnen Williams.
What is this team, anyway? One embracing a rebuild, or one tossing its chips into the table?
Jones’ reckless ego-driven decision making will make it difficult this offseason even to close the gap on a vulnerable Philadelphia Eagles franchise that despite its own personnel drama and freshly raised questions remains the class of the NFC East.
Here’s how the Cowboys can pick up some of the pieces and begin to turn things around this offseason.
Jerry Jones the owner has created a nightmare for Jerry Jones the general manager.
As the new league year and NFL free agency approaches, there isn’t a franchise in the league in a worse salary cap position, and it’s imperative that the Cowboys find a way to fit what promises to be one of the most lucrative wide receiver contracts in the history of the sport under said cap.
How bad are things right now at the Star in Frisco?
Well, as of writing on February 25, the Cowboys are currently $55.3 million over the cap.
Dallas has the worst salary cap situation in the league. And, the franchise tag for wide receivers this offseason is set at approximately $28 million for the 2026 season.
Jerry and the Cowboys may need to also find a way to lower CeeDee Lamb’s cap hit by restructuring his deal, as well.
Presumably, the Cowboys could restructure Dak Prescott’s contract to lower his team-high $74 million cap hit for the upcoming season, and releasing safety Malik Hooker would free up roughly $6.9 million in cap space, and Quinnen Williams’ contract could be reworked as well.
There are some fixes, but it will take a coordinated effort between the team and the agents of several high profile stars to make all of this work in a timely fashion.
Fortunately for the Cowboys, Dallas is armed with not just a pair of first-round picks but two of the first 20 selections in April’s Draft, which is plenty of ammunition either to move up in the top-10 picks to target a premier blue chip prospect or add two high-end players to a roster in dire need of depth at several key spots.
Likewise, if by the time the Cowboys go on the clock with the No. 20 selection the available prospects in that slot don’t match Dallas’ board, it’s conceivable that Jones could trade back to acquire a second or third-round pick that the franchise dealt away last fall.
Here’s a look at where the Cowboys are currently slated to be picking in the 2026 draft:
Round 1, Pick No. 12 overall
Round 1, Pick No. 20 overall (via Green Bay Packers)
Round 4, Pick No. 112 overall
Round 5, Pick No. 150 overall
Round 5, Pick No. 177 overall
Round 6, Pick No. 216 overall
Round 7, Pick No. 222 overall (via New York Giants)
Round 7, Pick No. 226 overall (via Kansas City Chiefs)
Sign George Pickens to a long-term contract extension
Whatever the Cowboys decided to do with Pickens — use the franchise tag, tag and trade, or sign the enigmatic wide receiver to a long-term contract, is going to dictate every other domino that falls for Dallas this offseason.
While Pickens can be a bit of a headache off the field, his production is undeniable, as is his impact on elevating a receiving corps that features CeeDee Lamb on the other side of the field while throwing the playbook wide open for Schottenheimer and Prescott.
Pickens set new career-highs across the board in 2025, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging an explosive 15.9 yards per reception. Losing that kind of production, not to mention the attention he commands over the top from opposing defenses would create a void it could prove exceedingly difficult for the Cowboys to fill.
Given that Dallas is currently projected to be around $18 million under the cap in 2027 and upwards of $139 million-plus under the cap in 2028, backloading much of Pickens’ contract with some significant guarantees could be a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Sign free agent safety Reed Blankenship
Often times when a new defensive coordinator arrives, the front office will aggressively target players who have thrived in his scheme in the past, not just to help the defense hit the ground running but for that player to act as a bit of a translator in meetings and a coach on the field in practice, as the new scheme is being installed.
Against that backdrop, and given the fact that signing him would be a significant blow to a bitter division rival, the Cowboys should make pairing Parker with Eagles free agent safety Reed Blankenship a top organizational priority.
Blankenship is a rising star, and as a former undrafted free agent, it’s safe to say that he’s significantly outplayed that label, emerging as not just a starter but a key contributor to Philadelphia’s defense. Last season, Blankenship produced 53 total tackles with one interception, one forced fumble, and his 20 run-stops rank in the top-25 among safeties league-wide.
Given the Cowboys’ need at the position, and the outsized impact that safeties make on modern championship-caliber defenses combined with Blankenship’s past success playing for Parker and this could be a move that comes together quickly for Dallas.
Draft Mansoor Delane at No. 12 overall
One thing that Jones the general manager has done well in recent years, is hitting in the draft. However, stressing positional value here is going to be critical, in order for the Cowboys to quickly and dominantly rebuild the defense.
Avoiding a need at linebacker, Dallas would be wise to emerge from the first round with the best available edge rusher and cornerback on the board when they go on the clock, with the choice at No. 12 being decided by which player ranks higher on their overall board.
That cornerback could be Mansoor Delane.
Delane, 6-foot and 190 pounds is the kind of long cornerback Parker is used to thriving with in Philadelphia, with nearly ideal measurables to emerging star Quinyon Mitchell, and last season at LSU had a downright fantastic season.
During his final year in Baton Rouge, Delane only allowed 14 receptions and Pro Football Focus lists him as the No. 3 ranked cornerback in the nation, with a 90.7 coverage grade.
Delane would be a plug-and-play starter capable of making an immediate impact while serving as a cornerstone both of Parker’s system and the Cowboys’ broader defensive rebuild.
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