March 17, 2026, 7:52 p.m. CT

When the Dallas Cowboys traded for Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary, it was a move that came with questions. Along with the compensation, how would the Cowboys redo Gary’s deal?

The cost of the trade, a 2027 fourth-round pick and the contract that came with Gary initially made it a good, not great deal for the Cowboys. Soon after the trade, the Cowboys’ front office maintained they wouldn’t add another high-priced pass rusher after adding Gary, an excuse they had at the ready.

However, as always with trades and cap space, the details matter. The Cowboys weren’t going to pay Gary what he was going to earn with the Packers, which is one of the big reasons Dallas opted to trade for the veteran pass rusher, and not wait for his expected release.

Now, with the details coming in, the trade looks like a great deal for the Cowboys. The team is paying less than half of what Gary was scheduled to make and lowered his base salary for the next two seasons.

That’s wonderful work by the Cowboys’ front office. The team got a good player at a cost more in line with his current performance.

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However, the details of the trade does make the Cowboys sound like they’re taking out of both sides of their mouths. They can’t say they can’t afford another pass rusher after signing Gary to a modest deal which reduced his salary.

The team needed a pass rusher to help a defense that struggled to get pressure last season, and while Gary helps, he isn’t enough. Dallas did what was required in acquiring an edge rusher in Gary, but that can’t be their only ‘big move’ to improve the pass rush.

And since the team got Gary at such a bargain, Jerry and Stephen Jones cannot say they’re done adding expensive options at pass rusher because we now know that Gary doesn’t cost that much. Gary isn’t making the $19.5 million he was scheduled to make with the Packers, and only costs the Cowboys $5.44 million against the salary cap in 2026, and $8.24 million next season. 

That’s not big money and the Cowboys cannot use the excuse they’ve already spent big on a pass rusher when that’s not the case. The team did a great job getting Gary to play at a reduced cost, but that means they can’t sell fans on the idea they can’t add another high-priced edge rusher because Gary isn’t being paid near the top of the market.

The Cowboys had the ability to go after better pressure players in free agency, but they passed on the opportunity.

Now the edge rusher well has run dry and the best way to find help is through a trade. The Las Vegas Raiders look like they’re keeping Maxx Crosby now, but Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Jonathan Greenard could be an option. It would take the Cowboys loosening up the purse strings and parting with some draft compensation to get it done, but Greenard would help.

Unfortunately, Greenard would also be seeking a new contract, which the Cowboys aren’t likely to accommodate. Not because they can’t afford it, but because they don’t want to.

One step forward, one step back for the Cowboys. Even after a smart move, they continue the same offseason rhetoric, but this time it’s even harder to buy.

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