{"id":769900,"date":"2026-02-22T22:54:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T22:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/769900\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T22:54:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T22:54:17","slug":"4-bold-free-agency-predictions-that-would-push-cowboys-back-into-the-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/769900\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Bold Free Agency Predictions That Would Push Cowboys Back Into the Playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Published on Feb. 20, 2026<\/p>\n

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

An NFL analyst makes four predictions for the Dallas Cowboys in free agency, including signing Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. and Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush, as well as re-signing defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and using the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens. These moves could be enough to push the Cowboys back into the playoff picture.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The Dallas Cowboys are looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season. These free agency predictions, if true, would significantly bolster their defense and offense, giving them a better chance of returning to the postseason.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

The analyst, Greg Auman of FOX Sports, believes the Cowboys will sign two defensive players from the AFC North: cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. from the Steelers and linebacker Devin Bush from the Browns. Samuel, 26, is seen as a reclamation project after being limited to 10 games over the last two seasons due to a shoulder injury, but he has shown promise earlier in his career. Bush, 27, is coming off a breakout season with the Browns, recording 125 tackles, three interceptions, two touchdowns, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. Auman also predicts the Cowboys will re-sign defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who led the team with 8.5 sacks last season, and use the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens.<\/p>\n

The start of NFL free agency is less than a month away.
\n The players<\/p>\n

Asante Samuel Jr.<\/p>\n

A cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers who has had success in the past but has been limited by injuries over the last two seasons.<\/p>\n

Devin Bush<\/p>\n

A linebacker for the Cleveland Browns who had a breakout season in 2025, recording 125 tackles, three interceptions, two touchdowns, two sacks, and two forced fumbles.<\/p>\n

Jadeveon Clowney<\/p>\n

A defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys who led the team with 8.5 sacks last season.<\/p>\n

George Pickens<\/p>\n

A wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys who the team is expected to franchise tag this offseason.<\/p>\n

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\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cSamuel, 26, is a tempting reclamation project, limited to 10 games over the last two seasons due to a shoulder injury, but a late-season cameo with the Steelers showed promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Greg Auman, NFL Analyst (FOX Sports)<\/p>\n

\u201cBush, 27, found himself this past year in Cleveland, filling up the stat sheet with 125 tackles, three picks (two returned for touchdowns), two sacks and two forced fumbles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Greg Auman, NFL Analyst (FOX Sports)<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The Cowboys will need to restructure some of their biggest contracts to free up enough salary cap space to make these moves in free agency.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

These free agency predictions, if true, would significantly improve the Cowboys’ roster on both sides of the ball and give them a much better chance of returning to the playoffs after missing out last season. The team’s ability to be aggressive in free agency will be crucial to their success in 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Published on Feb. 20, 2026 Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a An NFL analyst makes four…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":758988,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[77],"tags":[7,6,84],"class_list":{"0":"post-769900","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl-playoffs","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-nfl","10":"tag-nfl-playoffs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116116748163836712","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/769900","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=769900"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/769900\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/758988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=769900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=769900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=769900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}