{"id":339214,"date":"2025-09-03T20:29:34","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T20:29:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/339214\/"},"modified":"2025-09-03T20:29:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T20:29:34","slug":"offseason-in-review-dallas-cowboys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/339214\/","title":{"rendered":"Offseason In Review: Dallas Cowboys"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well, this veered into rather interesting territory late in the game. After another drawn-out negotiation with an All-Pro, the Cowboys were mostly just viewed as unnecessarily prolonging extension talks en route to a deal more expensive than it needed to be. Even as the ice was not thinning between ownership and Micah Parsons<\/a> in this latest Cowboys offseason saga, the CeeDee Lamb<\/a> and Dak Prescott<\/a> endgames still had an 11th-hour resolution \u2014 or a situation where the star edge rusher remained a Cowboy by Week 1 \u2014 as the most likely 2025 outcome.<\/p>\n

Instead, Jerry Jones completed a shocking twist ending. Parsons is a Packer, after the longtime Cowboys owner broke off negotiations amid a strange approach to dealing with one of the NFL\u2019s highest-powered agents. This took place a week before Dallas\u2019 new head coach is set to debut. The Cowboys dealt Brian Schottenheimer\u2018s best player shortly after the team\u2019s preseason finale, reshaping how this Cowboys period is viewed. Will it end up being the right choice?<\/p>\n

Coaching\/Front Office:<\/p>\n

Months before the Parsons showdown came to a head, the Cowboys completed another unusual coaching separation. Viewed as likely to move on from McCarthy for weeks, the Cowboys let the lame-duck HC dangle a week after Black Monday. McCarthy had outperformed Jason Garrett as Cowboys HC, stringing together three straight 12-win seasons \u2014 which had not happened in Dallas since their now-Netflixed 1990s glory years \u2014 from 2021-23 but was not extended following the Packers\u2019 upset wild-card win two seasons ago.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Prescott did not play particularly well before his season-ending hamstring injury, but McCarthy became the extraordinarily rare leader to coach out a contract. As McCarthy\u2019s assistants \u2014 including Schottenheimer \u2014 awaited the boss\u2019 fate, the Cowboys waited while the rest of the league had begun coaching searches<\/a>. McCarthy, 62, was out after two seasons as a play-calling HC (and three prior years as a non-play-caller). The sides discussed a new contract<\/a>, with term length an issue during the brief talks<\/a>, but McCarthy moved on and ultimately decided to bow out of the Saints\u2019 HC search. What happened next proved quite surprising.<\/p>\n

Part of the reason the Schottenheimer hire did not stun: this coaching search reminded closely of the 2020 effort that brought McCarthy to Dallas. Jerry Jones left Garrett dangling for days after the 2019 season ended, announcing a separation after interviews were being scheduled elsewhere. Jones then hired McCarthy after an interview process that only included \u2014 due to the Rooney Rule that at the time required only one external minority interview \u2014 Marvin Lewis as the box-checking meeting. The Schottenheimer process included a week-long wait but only three other candidates, as the Rooney Rule now requires two external minority candidates be interviewed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Although conversations with<\/a> Deion Sanders and Pete Carroll commenced<\/a>, the Cowboys conducted official interviews with Robert Saleh, Leslie Frazier and Schottenheimer\u2019s OC predecessor (Kellen Moore). It appeared the one-and-done Eagles OC was the early favorite<\/a>, but he ended up in New Orleans after Super Bowl LIX. An hours-long Schottenheimer meeting changed the course<\/a> of the Cowboys\u2019 talks. Not long after, a Friday-night hire took place.<\/p>\n

PFR\u2019s pages had tracked zero Schottenheimer HC interviews since our January 2014 inception. A prominent name in HC cycles in the late 2000s, Schottenheimer had settled onto the coordinator radar. He held Jets, Rams, Seahawks and Cowboys OC positions from 2006-24. Despite Russell Wilson<\/a>\u2018s Pro Bowl work in the late 2010s and even after Prescott\u2019s second-team All-Pro season in 2023, no Schottenheimer interview requests emerged. It certainly seemed the second-generation NFL staffer missed his window, but a lengthy Cowboys meeting changed his trajectory.<\/p>\n

Admitting he did not expect to land the job after his boss was fired<\/a>, Schottenheimer nevertheless impressed Jerry and Stephen Jones during the multiday interview. Schottenheimer, 51, discussed the OC positions with the Jets and Seahawks but \"\"<\/a>was informed Cowboys ownership wanted him to at least stay on as OC. The Cowboys had retained Moore this way while looking to replace Garrett in 2020. After what-ifs involving Dolphins and Bills HC positions more than a decade ago, Schottenheimer became one of the unlikeliest HC hires in recent NFL history.<\/p>\n

Schottenheimer calling himself \u201cSean McVay before Sean McVay\u201d is certainly revisionist history, and Jones referred to this hire as \u201ca risk, not a Hail Mary.\u201d<\/a> It took Schottenheimer until his 11th NFL OC year (with the 2019 Seahawks) to produce a top-10 total offense, though that recurred when the 2023 Cowboys ranked third. He will hold the call sheet for the first time since 2020, his third and final Seattle season, and carried tremendous support from Prescott, who had previously called for McCarthy to be given a sixth season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Adams, who spent the past two seasons as the Cardinals\u2019 O-line coach, will step into the non-play-calling OC role Schottenheimer vacated. Two of the Cowboys\u2019 past three OCs have been Boise State grads. Adams, 42, had been the Colts\u2019 tight ends coach from 2021-22, following ex-Indianapolis coworker Jonathan Gannon to Arizona. Adams has a short history as an OC, working as co-OC at Colorado in 2018.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Like Schottenheimer, the Cowboys were his only option for upward mobility. The Cowboys will have Dorsey, the recent Bills and Browns OC, providing input to the less experienced NFL staffer.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys also provided a soft landing for Eberflus, who returns to Dallas after six years as a head coach or defensive coordinator. Eberflus had left his role as Cowboys LBs coach in 2018, thinking he would be Josh McDaniels\u2018 DC in Indianapolis. Frank Reich honored the would-be HC\u2019s offer, and Eberflus helmed the Colts to top-10 scoring defenses in three of four seasons on the job.<\/p>\n

Eberflus\u2019 Bears tenure did not go well, as he followed both John Fox and Matt Nagy in being fired months after the team drafted a first-round quarterback. The Bears went 14-32 under Eberflus. After some 2023 progress, the rebuilding team bottomed out after the Jayden Daniels<\/a>-to-Noah Brown<\/a> Hail Mary.<\/p>\n

A Thanksgiving clock-management debacle sealed Eberflus\u2019 fate, but he immediately resurfaced on the radar for the Cowboys\u2019 DC gig once Schottenheimer was hired. Eberflus, 55, has not worked with Schottenheimer previously. But he spent seven seasons in Dallas (2011-17) under Garrett.<\/p>\n

Trades:<\/p>\n

Regardless of timing, Jerry Jones has done well to complete extensions with star players. Before Prescott and Lamb, the Hall of Fame owner paid the likes of Ezekiel Elliott<\/a>, Dez Bryant<\/a>, DeMarcus Ware<\/a>, Zack Martin<\/a>, Tyron Smith<\/a> and Travis Frederick<\/a> top-market contracts. The previous wave of deals came on Dallas\u2019 terms, however, with only Bryant\u2019s 2015 five-year extension south of six years.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Parsons\u2019 camp was believed to have issues with that long of a contract<\/a>, as the 2020s salary cap spikes make long-term deals ill-advised, but Jones launched a bizarre crusade to go around David Mulugheta to hammer out what was a five-year proposal averaging $40.5MM per. With Parsons not deeming his agreement on deal parameters<\/a> as official (as players with agents use them to finalize their contracts), this negotiation broke stride with past eras of Cowboys contract talks.<\/p>\n

None of the aforementioned batch of players requested a trade. After Parsons spoke of<\/a> a desire to have his deal finalized by training camp and, on multiple occasions, said his price would rise the longer the Cowboys waited<\/a> \u2014 just as costs climbed during the lengthy Prescott and Lamb talks last year \u2014 he pulled the trade-request lever August 1. Although Jones had informed Cowboys fans not to lose sleep over the Parsons request<\/a>, the next chapters produced a full-on unraveling of this relationship.<\/p>\n

Jones and Parsons did not resume negotiations after the trade ask, with the owner hung up on what he described as the All-Pro pass rusher reneging on an agreed-upon deal. Had Parsons been a self-represented player like Lamar Jackson<\/a> or Bobby Wagner<\/a>, such talks were permissible. But the fifth-year player designating Mulugheta to handle his talks meant the Cowboys needed to go through the agent.<\/p>\n

Jones, 82, said during a now-seminal Michael Irvin interview Mulugheta told Cowboys ownership to \u201cstick [the Parsons agreement details] up their ass.\u201d<\/a> Mulugheta, of course, denied that account. Jones\u2019 comments, which also included the owner\/GM threatening to take the two-franchise tag route with Parsons, did not exactly bring anything closer to a peaceful resolution.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Parsons, who had not held out from minicamp or training camp, had long aimed to sign a Cowboys extension. Days after Jones\u2019 comments, however, Schottenheimer needed to address his sideline actions during the team\u2019s preseason finale<\/a> in a meeting with the disgruntled player.<\/p>\n

Mentions of Packers interest in the sack dynamo emerged soon after, and a year after Jones had signed off on the Prescott and Lamb top-market extensions, he traded the younger, better performer for two first-round picks and Clark \u2014 a 10th-year veteran. Prior to the deal, the Cowboys had told Parsons to play on his fifth-year option \u2014 after the player had attempted to restart extension talks<\/a> \u2014 or head out. The explosive trade followed.<\/p>\n

Framing this as a Herschel Walker-style haul is rather optimistic, as that kind of trade \u2014 which brought three first-rounders, three seconds, a third and more in October 1989 \u2014 squeezed the Vikings in a deal that supplied even more assets than the historic Deshaun Watson<\/a> trade did. Picks-wise, the Parsons haul did not match what the Seahawks gave up for Jamal Adams<\/a> (two firsts, a third and safety Bradley McDougald) or what the Rams surrendered for Jalen Ramsey<\/a> (two 1s and a 4). Jones did point to Clark as a main attraction, with the Cowboys targeting the Packers in a deal largely because of the 29-year-old D-tackle\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n

Perhaps more important than the trade package itself, Jones\u2019 post-trade presser revealed the Cowboys \u2014 as we had heard previously<\/a> \u2014 internally discussed the prospect of trading Parsons before the draft. However, no conversations with teams transpired at that point<\/a>. A staggering eight Cowboys first-round picks since 2010 have become All-Pros, pointing to the Will McClay-led draft operation\u2019s ability to find talent. Regardless of how well Green Bay fares over the next two seasons with Parsons, those picks will be valuable in Dallas\u2019 hands. But Jones indicating a Parsons-for-Clark swap \u2014 all that matters for 2025 \u2014 would make this year\u2019s team better marked another tough sell.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Moving Parsons before the draft or even before free agency would have presumably brought a better return, with more clubs having cap space and needs to pull off the kind of megadeal (four years, $186MM, $120MM fully guaranteed) the 26-year-old defender received. While the coaching staff was said to have been unanimously onboard with moving on, leaks involving dissenting opinions could certainly come out down the road \u2014 especially if Parsons stays on his current career path.<\/p>\n

A year younger than Khalil Mack<\/a> when he was dealt to the Bears for a two-first-rounder package, Parsons joins only Reggie White as players to post 12-plus sacks in each of their first four seasons. The 2021 first-rounder did that despite missing four games last year; Jones alluding to Parsons\u2019 high ankle sprain during one of his many media-availability sessions further enflamed this situation.<\/p>\n

Clark, 30 in October, is a three-time Pro Bowler tied to a through-2027 extension (three years, $64MM). Plenty will be on his shoulders this season, and Jones referencing the Cowboys\u2019 D-end depth (with Dante Fowler<\/a> and Donovan Ezeiruaku<\/a> joining the\u00a0Sam Williams<\/a>\u2013Marshawn Kneeland<\/a> duo) adds up. But the Cowboys ranked first in defensive EPA with Parsons on the field from 2021-24 and 31st when he was sidelined.<\/p>\n

Trading Parsons when they did marks a historic gamble for the Cowboys, and it is perhaps telling a Packers team dead set against post-Year 1 guarantees authorized fully guaranteed money through 2027 to acquire Parsons<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It seemed the Cowboys were loading up around their Prescott-Lamb-Parsons trio in May, when they acquired Pickens\u2019 rookie contract from the Steelers. The team had searched for a promising Lamb sidekick since trading Amari Cooper<\/a> in March 2022, and after looking into<\/a> a Cooper reunion and gauging<\/a> the Cooper Kupp<\/a> and Rashod Bateman<\/a> markets<\/a>, the Cowboys landed Pickens in a package headlined by a third-rounder.<\/p>\n

Pickens, 24, is set to play out his rookie deal in Dallas. With Parsons gone, a 2026 franchise tag should be in play for Pickens. Though, the latest Pittsburgh-developed mercurial wideout will need to show he is onboard in Dallas before a big commitment is authorized. The Steelers had determined after the 2024 season they would move on<\/a> from Pickens, and after the Cowboys showed interest before the draft, talks intensified post-draft.<\/p>\n

The rare mid-May trade came after the three-year Pittsburgh starter did not draw a big market<\/a>. Maturity concerns have dogged Pickens, who has plenty of incentive to stay on track. A lucrative free agency could await ahead of an age-25 season, though the Georgia alum is open to staying in Dallas<\/a> long term.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Pickens is the NFL\u2019s only player to generate three straight seasons north of 16 yards per reception and accumulated over 2,000 since 2022,\u00a0according to ESPN Stats and Info<\/a>. The former second-rounder has also only missed three career games. Prescott will be the best QB Pickens has played with, after having teamed with Kenny Pickett<\/a>, Mason Rudolph<\/a>, Justin Fields<\/a> and a post-prime Russell Wilson<\/a>. Upside exists here, and with Parsons out of the picture, the Cowboys will likely need their receiver arsenal plenty to keep up in 2025.<\/p>\n

The Bills did not see Elam justify his 2022 first-round draft slot, observing Christian Benford<\/a> outplay him and never giving Elam a full-season run atop the depth chart. The fourth-year veteran\u2019s unwanted cameo in the AFC championship game, as Benford exited early, helped swing the Bills\u2019 fourth Sean McDermott-era postseason loss to the Chiefs.<\/p>\n

Elam, nevertheless, landed on his feet in Dallas. He is on track for a Week 1 starting role for the first time. While Shavon Revel<\/a> rehabs the ACL tear that ended his college career, Elam will be expected to play often.<\/p>\n

Many teams checked in with the Patriots on Milton, who impressed in a meaningless Week 18 win over \"\"<\/a>Bills second-stringers. Three years remain on the cannon-armed Tennessee prospect\u2019s rookie contract, and he will head into the season as Prescott\u2019s lone active-roster backup.<\/p>\n

While Will Grier<\/a> is on the practice squad, Milton is the only Prescott backup on the 53-man roster. Prescott has missed significant time in three of the past four seasons. Milton\u2019s belief he can be an NFL starter affected his place in New England<\/a>, which is building around Drake Maye<\/a>, and he did not seem to fit under new HC Mike Vrabel.<\/p>\n

With prices rising elsewhere on the roster, the Cowboys have kept costs low at linebacker. Murray represents a bit of an exception, being tied to a two-year, $15.5MM deal the Titans authorized in March 2024. Like Elam, Murray has not justified his first-round draft slot. But the former Chargers draftee has been a starter for most of his career.<\/p>\n

Murray followed Azeez Al-Shaair<\/a> as a Titans tackles leader (95; eight for loss) to leave town weeks after the season. Murray, whom the Bolts benched at points, and 2024 third-rounder Marist Liufau<\/a> are set to hold down the fort while DeMarvion Overshown<\/a> rehabs another major knee injury.<\/p>\n

Extensions and restructures:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Days after the Parsons trade, the Cowboys paid Bland. The fifth-round find has become more important in Dallas since Trevon Diggs<\/a>\u2018 two significant knee injuries. Bland is no stranger to health issues himself, having suffered a foot fracture during 2024 training camp; that injury kept him out 10 games last year.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys will nevertheless buy in, as Bland is vital to their 2025 plans \u2014 with Diggs coming off injury and Shavon Revel<\/a> not yet recovered from his. Considering Elam\u2019s Buffalo track record, Bland will be one of the Cowboys\u2019 five most important players this season.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys identified Bland as an extension candidate early in the offseason, but the Parsons final hours effectively paused other matters. Bland went from rookie-year slot corner to the 2023 Diggs boundary replacement following the latter\u2019s ACL tear. Bland proceeded to post a record-setting five pick-sixes during a nine-INT season, giving the Cowboys two first-team All-Pros at corner. Neither staying healthy in 2024 certainly hurt a defense that cratered from fifth to 31st in scoring (and that was with Parsons playing 13 games).<\/p>\n

Pro Football Focus graded Bland second among CBs in 2023 and 33rd in \u201924. Bland, 26, has played the majority of his snaps outside over the past two seasons; he is expected to shift to a more versatile role this year. A Deommodore Lenoir<\/a>-like role appears set for Bland, who repped extensively in the slot this offseason<\/a>. Bland shifting inside in sub-packages appears the plan. That stands to help maximize a CB corps that will likely face tougher assignments due to Parsons\u2019 departure.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The lack of a true WR2 helped keep Ferguson a central piece in Dallas\u2019 passing attack. The fourth-year tight end totaled 71 catches for 761 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, earning Pro Bowl acclaim. Missing three games due to an MCL sprain last season, Ferguson spent much of his third year catching passes from Cooper Rush<\/a>. This Cowboys extension, which comes three years after they could not agree on terms with franchise-tagged TE Dalton Schultz<\/a>, represents clear faith Ferguson can return to his 2023 form alongside Prescott.<\/p>\n

At $12.5MM per year, Ferguson checks in as the NFL\u2019s eighth-highest-paid tight end. Dallas guaranteed its top TE\u2019s 2026 base salary but would carry only $7.2MM in dead money by moving on in 2027, providing flexibility on a through-2029 contract. Though, a March 2027 guarantee of $7MM will require an earlier decision. Ferguson carries a pair of $9.5MM option bonuses (in 2028 and \u201929); both do not need to be exercised until Week 1 of those years.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys have been able to find Day 3 options at tight end, as Schultz and Blake Jarwin<\/a> (whose extension did not pan out) showed. This extension entrenches Ferguson above 2023 second-rounder Luke Schoonmaker<\/a> on the depth chart.<\/p>\n

Re-signings:<\/p>\n

Osa Odighizuwa<\/a>, DT. Four years, $80MM ($39MM guaranteed<\/a>)
\nMarkquese Bell<\/a>, S. Three years, $9MM ($6.2MM guaranteed<\/a>)
\nKaVontae Turpin<\/a>, WR. Three years, $13.5MM ($5MM guaranteed<\/a>)
\nBryan Anger<\/a>, P. Two years, $6.4MM ($3.3MM guaranteed<\/a>)
\nTrent Sieg<\/a>, LS. Three years, $4.45MM ($1.81MM guaranteed<\/a>)
\nC.J. Goodwin<\/a>, DB. One year, $1.26MM<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Cowboys have used the franchise tag six times since 2018. Odighizuwa was poised to run that count to seven<\/a> had he not agreed to terms before the early-March tag deadline. Odighizuwa, 27, marks yet another Cowboys draft hit. He joins Prescott, Lamb, Bland and Kenny Clark<\/a> as $20MM-per-year players on this roster.<\/p>\n

Only Zach Allen<\/a> and Chris Jones<\/a> posted more pressures among interior D-linemen than Odighizuwa\u2019s 33 last season. Odighizuwa\u2019s work only produced 4.5 sacks \u2014 the former third-rounder\u2019s next five-sack season will be his first \u2014 but those rushes led to 23 QB hits. A four-year starter, Odighizuwa has registered 28 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in total. How his rush lanes look without Parsons will be a subplot to follow in Dallas this season, but the team does have a formidable DT duo with Clark arriving.<\/p>\n

Jerry Jones has professed run defense was paramount in making the Parsons trade. The swap came after Odighizuwa ranked 67th (per PFF) in run defense among interior D-linemen (Clark ranked 43rd). ESPN\u2019s pass rush win rate metric, however, ranked Odighizuwa 12th last season. He will be asked to provide consistent pressure to help the team\u2019s lower-wattage edge rush produce.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The clubhouse leaders in choosing the right talent from this era of spring-league football, the Cowboys added Turpin in 2022 and Brandon Aubrey<\/a> in 2023. Turpin is a two-time Pro Bowler who landed on the All-Pro first team last season, posting both kick- and punt-return touchdowns. The Cowboys found two special teams gems from the USFL, and Turpin is now signed through 2028.<\/p>\n

Listed at just 153 pounds, Turpin also served as a gadget player for Dallas on offense last year. The Cowboys upped his offensive snap count to 315 in 2024, and the 5-foot-9 playmaker totaled 512 scrimmage yards and two TDs. The team was prepared to use a $5.35MM second-round RFA tender had this extension not been agreed to. A future suspension could be in play, however, as a July arrest on weapons and marijuana charges ensued.<\/p>\n

Free agency additions:<\/p>\n

Dante Fowler<\/a>, DE. One year, $6MM ($5MM guaranteed<\/a>)
\nRobert Jones<\/a>, G. One year, $3.75MM ($3MM guaranteed<\/a>)
\nJavonte Williams<\/a>, RB. One year, $3MM ($2MM guaranteed<\/a>)
\nPayton Turner<\/a>, DE. One year, $2.5MM ($2MM guaranteed<\/a>)
\nMiles Sanders<\/a>, RB. One year, $1.34MM ($1.2MM guaranteed<\/a>)
\nJack Sanborn<\/a>, LB. One year, $1.5MM ($150K guaranteed<\/a>)
\nPerrion Winfrey<\/a>, DT. Two years, $2.04MM<\/a>
\nJames Houston<\/a>, DE. One year, $1.09MM<\/a>
\nSaahdiq Charles<\/a>, OL. Practice squad<\/a>
\nRobert Rochell<\/a>, CB. Practice squad<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Fowler\u2019s primary coaches from his previous stint in Dallas \u2014 Dan Quinn, Aden Durde \u2014 are gone, and the Cowboys are shifting to Eberflus\u2019 scheme. But Schottenheimer and Fowler did overlap in 2023. He fetched a raise after outproducing the Commanders\u2019 higher-paid ex-Cowboy D-end (Dorance Armstrong<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Fowler led Washington with 10.5 sacks, turning his second-best season. Unlike his last campaign with double-digit sacks (with the 2019 Rams), no big-ticket offer awaited. Still, the former top-five pick now appears a more important piece in Dallas post-Parsons.<\/p>\n

Having played behind Parsons, Armstrong and DeMarcus Lawrence<\/a> during his first Dallas stint, Fowler was productive in a limited role. He logged just 30% and 25% snap rates, respectively, in 2022 and \u201923 \u2014 as a post-Randy Gregory<\/a> solution. Joining Quinn for a third time, Fowler played 52% of the Commanders\u2019 defensive snaps last season. With Dallas\u2019 current DE corps consisting of unknowns, the 31-year-old EDGE will likely be asked to play more than he did during his first stint.<\/p>\n

Williams and Sanders\u2019 form over the past two seasons has led fantasy sites to push fifth-rounder Jaydon Blue<\/a>. The older RBs, though, look set to receive more work early.<\/p>\n

Williams has not looked the same since his ACL and LCL tears in October 2022. An eye-catching runner as a rookie, the 2021 Broncos second-rounder could not reach 3.8 yards per carry in either of his post-surgery seasons. The bulldozing runner, 25, could not capitalize on run block win rate\u2019s best O-line last \"\"<\/a>season, leading the Broncos with a paltry 513 rushing yards. Williams is listed as Dallas\u2019 Week 1 starter nonetheless.<\/p>\n

Sanders, 28, bombed on his four-year, $25.4MM Panthers deal. Carolina cleaned house after Sanders\u2019 first season there, and Chuba Hubbard<\/a> quickly usurped the former Super Bowl LVII starter. A four-year Eagles starter who amassed 1,269 rushing yards in 2022, Sanders only logged 55 carries last season. The Cowboys have the Ezekiel Elliott<\/a> dead money off their books, but despite Rico Dowdle<\/a> (1,079 rushing yards) far outproducing Williams and Sanders last season and garnering only a $2.75MM Panthers pact, the Cowboys are starting over with another low-cost backfield.<\/p>\n

Dallas showed preliminary interest in<\/a> Dre Greenlaw<\/a> and pursued E.J. Speed<\/a> in free agency<\/a>. The Kenneth Murray<\/a> trade became the team\u2019s top LB investment. Sanborn, however, will bring scheme familiarity after starting 19 games under Matt Eberflus in Chicago. The Bears nontendered Sanborn as an RFA in March, leading to this low-cost Eberflus reunion.<\/p>\n

Notable losses:<\/p>\n

Brandin Cooks<\/a>, WR
\nRico Dowdle<\/a>, RB
\nChuma Edoga<\/a>, T
\nChauncey Golston<\/a>, DL
\nLinval Joseph<\/a>, DT
\nEric Kendricks<\/a>, LB
\nTrey Lance<\/a>, QB
\nDeMarcus Lawrence<\/a>, DE
\nCarl Lawson<\/a>, DE
\nJourdan Lewis<\/a>, CB
\nZack Martin<\/a>, G (retired<\/a>)
\nCooper Rush<\/a>, QB
\nMatt Waletzko<\/a>, OL (waived\/injured<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Two of the greatest guards in NFL history have come through Dallas, which drafted Martin several years after Larry Allen\u2018s time with the team ended. Martin may not have dominated like the all-time mauler did, but he finished his career as a more decorated player.<\/p>\n

Martin\u2019s seven first-team All-Pro nods match Hall of Famers John Hannah and Randall McDaniel for most in guard history. A two-time second-team All-Pro as well, Martin earned All-NFL acclaim all nine seasons he finished. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n

While Parsons\u2019 star power outflanks Martin\u2019s, the stalwart guard is the most accomplished of the Cowboys\u2019 modern parade of successful first-round picks. The 2014 first-rounder\u2019s importance to the Cowboys prompted the team to give in during his 2023 holdout, which turned the final two seasons of a six-year, $84MM deal into fully guaranteed salaries. Martin, 34, played out a two-year, $36.85MM revised pact but did not finish the 2024 season due to injury.<\/p>\n

Ankle surgery ended Martin\u2019s run as the Cowboys\u2019 right guard. The ex-Notre Dame tackle, famously drafted over Johnny Manziel ahead of Tony Romo\u2018s age-34 season, had started all 162 games he played. Martin helped Elliott and DeMarco Murray<\/a> to rushing titles (and Tony Pollard<\/a> and Rico Dowdle<\/a> to 1,000-yard years) while aiding Dak Prescott<\/a> to going from fourth-round pick to impressive Romo successor.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys have a replacement lined up, in first-rounder Tyler Booker<\/a>, but they are losing one of the best players in franchise history. This offseason wrapped the Cowboys\u2019 All-Decade-teamer-laden O-line\u2019s run, with Tyron Smith<\/a> retiring after a Jets one-off. Martin\u2019s exit created more than $25MM in dead money thanks to void years. The team will absorb $16.4MM of that total in 2026.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Last year\u2019s Dallas edition also played mostly without Lawrence, who suffered a Lisfranc injury in Week 4. Lawrence stuck around longer than DeMarcus Ware did in Dallas, lasting 11 years. The twice-franchise-tagged D-end made the effective transition from the Cowboys\u2019 edge anchor to their top Parsons complementary piece. The back half of Lawrence\u2019s Dallas run did not produce high sack numbers; his last seven-sack season came in 2018. But he was one of the game\u2019s better all-around DEs.<\/p>\n

Lawrence, 33, had hoped to re-sign with the Cowboys but ultimately never received an offer<\/a>. He rejoined Aden Durde in Seattle, receiving a soft landing (three years, $35MM with $13MM guaranteed at signing) despite the major foot injury. The Cowboys also lost Lawrence\u2019s primary replacement, as Golston joined a now-loaded Giants pass rush \u2014 thanks to the ensuing Abdul Carter<\/a> addition.<\/p>\n

On his way to becoming one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history, Lance did not turn things around in Dallas. Acquired for a fourth-round pick in 2023, the ex-49ers draftee attempted just 41 passes as a Cowboy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Rush started over the former North Dakota State phenom following Prescott\u2019s hamstring tear. After two stints with the Cowboys, the former UDFA find became Lamar Jackson<\/a>\u2018s backup in Baltimore. Going 9-5 as a starter, Rush signed a two-year, $6.2MM deal. Lance is on a one-year, $2MM pact as the Chargers\u2019 backup.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys did not see Cooks closely remind of Amari Cooper<\/a>, helping explain the George Pickens<\/a> gamble. The fourth trade of Cooks\u2019 career brought him from Houston to Dallas in March 2023, and after an eight-touchdown debut season, Cooks missed seven games due to injury last year.<\/p>\n

Cooks\u2019 absence did allow slow-developing third-rounder Jalen Tolbert<\/a> to grow more comfortable. After a 610-yard 2024, Tolbert becomes an interesting contract-year piece. He would stand to be a more affordable Lamb complement compared to Pickens as a 2026 free agent. Cooks, 31, returned to the Saints on a two-year, $13MM deal.<\/p>\n

Draft:<\/p>\n

Round 1, No. 12:\u00a0Tyler Booker<\/a>\u00a0(G, Alabama) (signed<\/a>)
\nRound 2, No. 44:\u00a0Donovan Ezeiruaku<\/a>\u00a0(DE, Boston College) (signed<\/a>)
\nRound 3, No. 76:\u00a0Shavon Revel<\/a>\u00a0(CB, East Carolina) (signed<\/a>)
\nRound 5, No. 149:\u00a0Jaydon Blue<\/a>\u00a0(RB, Texas) (signed<\/a>)
\nRound 5, No. 152 (from Cardinals):\u00a0Shemar James<\/a>\u00a0(LB, Florida) (signed<\/a>)
\nRound 6, No. 204 (from Lions through Browns and Bills):\u00a0Ajani Cornelius<\/a>\u00a0(G, Oregon) (signed<\/a>)
\nRound 7, No. 217 (from Titans through Patriots):\u00a0Jay Toia<\/a>\u00a0(DT, UCLA)\u00a0(signed<\/a>)
\nRound 7, No. 239 (from Packers through Titans):\u00a0Phil Mafah<\/a>\u00a0(RB, Clemson) (signed<\/a>)
\nRound 7, No. 247 (from Chiefs through Panthers):\u00a0Tommy Akingbesote<\/a>\u00a0(DT, Maryland) (signed<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Booker is O-lineman No. 6 drafted in the past 15 Cowboys first rounds. The team was closely connected to eyeing<\/a> a wide receiver in Round 1, hosting the likes of Tetairoa McMillan<\/a> and Emeka Egbuka<\/a>. The team has done extraordinarily well with first-round O-linemen, however, turning Tyron Smith<\/a>, Travis Frederick<\/a>, Zack Martin<\/a> and Tyler Smith<\/a> into All-Pros. With Tyler Guyton<\/a> a work in progress, the Cowboys will hope Booker can be a quick study.<\/p>\n

Swapping out Martin for Booker will leave four rookie-deal O-linemen in Dallas\u2019 starting lineup, with only RT Terence Steele<\/a> signed to a lucrative second contract. The Crimson Tide\u2019s starting left guard for most of the past three years, Booker drew All-America acclaim last season. The Cowboys were planning to draft McMillan had<\/a> the draft\u2019s top receiver prospect been there at No. 12, but the Panthers had a high view of the Arizona alum and took him at 8.<\/p>\n

Both the Dane Brugler and Daniel Jeremiah big boards pointed to Dallas landing a steal in Ezeiruaku, whom The Athletic and NFL.com offerings respectively ranked 22nd and 30th. The mid-second-rounder brings elite college production, after a 16.5-sack season came two years after an 8.5-sack sophomore slate.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>With Parsons gone, Williams coming off an ACL tear and Kneeland more of a traits-fueled project (zero rookie-year sacks), the Cowboys may need Ezeiraku early. They have three second-round picks invested at D-end; it is paramount the team see quality returns here if the Parsons trade is to work.<\/p>\n

Like Cooper Beebe<\/a> last year, the Cowboys laid a clear path to playing time for their third-round pick. Revel was viewed as a likely first-rounder before his ACL tear; a freefall instead commenced. Revel, as his father warned this summer<\/a>, was not going to be ready by Week 1. The Cowboys had hoped a September return could happen<\/a>, but their reserve\/NFI placement sidelines him for at least four games.<\/p>\n

With Elam struggling throughout his Bills tenure, Dallas may need Revel to develop into a rookie-year regular to join Trevon Diggs<\/a> and DaRon Bland<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>While the Cowboys have taken deserved heat for prolonging the Prescott (twice), Lamb and Parsons negotiations, they do have a history of locking up O-linemen early. Both Tyron Smith<\/a> and Travis Frederick<\/a> signed extensions not long after the team exercised their fifth-year options. Although it does not look like Tyler Smith<\/a> will be extended by Dallas\u2019 Thursday-night opener, a deal should still be expected before the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

Manning both the LT and LG positions, Smith has settled at guard and become one of the NFL\u2019s best. The Fort Worth native is now a two-time Pro Bowler who will be expected to anchor Dallas\u2019 post-Martin front. The guard market has climbed past $23MM per year, thanks to Trey Smith<\/a>\u2018s $23.5MM-AAV Chiefs extension. Tyler Smith, who is two years younger than Trey and holding a better resume, will be expected to come in north of that total.<\/p>\n

This a clear candidate to be the NFL\u2019s first $25MM-per-year guard, and Smith changed agents in preparation for these negotiations. A payroll devoid of a Parsons megadeal could accommodate such a contract more easily, even if the Cowboys still have the NFL\u2019s highest-paid player and third-highest-paid WR (in Prescott and Lamb).<\/p>\n

A big season awaits Diggs, who is on track to be ready after it appeared he would join Revel as a Cowboys CB starting the season late<\/a>. Transitioned off the active\/PUP list last week, Diggs has logged full practices ahead of the team\u2019s Philadelphia trip. Diggs\u2019 knee flared up during the 2024 season, after he had spent the year rehabbing an ACL tear. That invites questions about the former All-Pro\u2019s long-term Dallas future.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Cowboys can escape this five-year, $97MM extension fairly easily in 2026 by taking on less than $6MM in dead money in a release scenario. Bland\u2019s payday points to the team being ready to move on. Still going into just an age-27 season, however, Diggs can still show he is a capable starter and either convince the Cowboys to keep him or create a nice post-cap-casualty free agent market. The aggressive corner will need to start that process by merely staying on the field, which he has been unable to do since signing his extension.<\/p>\n

Overshown and Diggs each left December\u2019s Cowboys-Bengals game with major injuries. The linebacker, who had rehabbed a 2023 ACL tear, is on Dallas\u2019 reserve\/PUP list and not expected to return for some time. While Guyton has joined Diggs in recovering in time for the team\u2019s opener \u2014 as a three-Tyler O-line awaits NBC\u2019s intro graphics \u2014 Overshown\u2019s ACL, MCL and PCL tears have him set to wait longer. A midseason return appears the best-case scenario<\/a> with Overshown, who had flashed in his first NFL action.<\/p>\n

Top 10 cap charges for 2025:<\/p>\n

Dak Prescott<\/a>, QB: $50.52MM
\nTerence Steele<\/a>, RT: $18.13MM
\nCeeDee Lamb<\/a>, WR: $15.33MM
\nTrevon Diggs<\/a>, CB: $12.09MM
\nDonovan Wilson<\/a>, S: $8.65MM
\nMalik Hooker<\/a>, S: $7.75MM
\nKenneth Murray<\/a>, LB: $7.41MM
\nOsa Odighizuwa<\/a>, DT: $6.25MM
\nDante Fowler<\/a>, DE: $6MM
\nDaRon Bland<\/a>, CB: $5.82MM<\/p>\n

Jones is not going anywhere. Set to turn 83 this year, the omnipresent Cowboys czar has given no real consideration to stepping down<\/a> as GM. It certainly can be argued the Cowboys would be better off had Jones done so years ago and only focused on the ownership component, his strength, while letting personnel men run the football side. That setup worked for the Cowboys during their modern-era apex. This offseason brought an important update to Jones\u2019 GM run, as the Parsons trade dwarfed everything else the franchise did in 2025.<\/p>\n

Of course, plenty will still be on Prescott \u2014 who is about to set a record for highest cap number in a season \u2014 to justify his $60MM-per-year contract. The oft-discussed passer is now 32 and has missed 24 games due to injury this decade. Drawing the NFC North (booking a Week 4 Parsons return trip) and AFC West, the Cowboys \u2014 who have 10 games against 2024 playoff qualifiers \u2014 will have a tough road this season.<\/p>\n

Even as 2026 looks like the better bet for a potential Cowboys recovery from losing their top player, the NFL\u2019s most-discussed team will remain in the spotlight. That will mean plenty of Jones assessments of his roster. While this season will be important, the 2026 draft now becomes a pivotal proving ground for the late-career decision-maker as he attempts to justify a potential legacy-altering trade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Well, this veered into rather interesting territory late in the game. After another drawn-out negotiation with an All-Pro,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":339215,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2066],"tags":[230,229,257,2461,7,6,35822,4442],"class_list":{"0":"post-339214","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas-cowboys","8":"tag-cowboys","9":"tag-dallas","10":"tag-dallas-cowboys","11":"tag-dallascowboys","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-nfl","14":"tag-offseason-in-review","15":"tag-pfr-originals"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115142260741360068","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=339214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/339215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=339214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=339214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=339214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}