The Dallas Cowboys had an eventful NFL combine. Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones were working the media circuit, fans got to learn more about Christian Parker through a few interviews, and there was drama surrounding the reports of Brandon Aubrey\u2019s contract negotiations.<\/p>\n
A lot of knowledge is shared throughout the week, both on camera and behind closed doors, as the NFL landscape is set to shift as free agency approaches in just a few weeks. Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, NFL Insiders for ESPN, emptied their notebooks on what they learned throughout the week.<\/a><\/p>\n Here are a few nuggets and takeaways that matter for the Cowboys.<\/p>\n 1. How Dallas attacks the start of free agency<\/p>\n Jerry Jones held court on his bus during combine week and talked to media members about how the team will be active in free agency. The majority of their moves could come on the defensive side of the ball as Dallas gets their new defensive coordinator the pieces he needs to run his defense.<\/p>\n Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS Cowboys was the first to report the Cowboys\u2019 potential interest in Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean. Fowler doubles down on that idea.<\/p>\n The Cowboys are crafting a detailed free agency plan to bolster their defense. The new scheme under coordinator Christian Parker needs replenishment. Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean<\/a> is someone to watch as a green-dot player in the middle of the defense.<\/p>\n Dean has been with the Eagles for four seasons after being drafted in 2022. When healthy, Dean has shown flashes of the player people viewed as the one he could become coming out of Georgia in college. The biggest concern with handing him a big contract is his health.<\/p>\n Out of 68 possible games, Dean was on the field for just 47 of them. He\u2019s battled injuries throughout his young career, so if he\u2019s expected to be the one leading Dallas\u2019 defense, Dean has to be on the field more than he\u2019s shown to this point.<\/p>\n 2. The Cowboys will look to add a pass rusher<\/p>\n The Cowboys\u2019 leader in sacks from last year is Jadeveon Clowney, who is set to hit the open market. Two other edge rushers for Dallas are free agents in Sam Williams and Dante Fowler Jr. Both could return to the Cowboys, but the front office might look to not only upgrade the position but also go after one of the top free agents if the price is right.<\/p>\n Fowler: The Cowboys will monitor the top of the pass-rush free agent options, too. They aren\u2019t guaranteed to spend big, but I believe they will get a pass rusher at some point.<\/p>\n Later in the notebook, Fowler says, \u201cTrey Hendrickson (Bengals) and Odafe Oweh (Chargers) will probably not be franchise-tagged.\u201d That means two more premier edge rushers could be on the market. A few beat reporters have mentioned Hendrickson\u2019s name as a possibility this offseason, but will he command too much money that Dallas is unwilling to spend? Probably.<\/p>\n What about Jalen Phillips? Can the Cowboys pull two former Eagles in free agency away from their rivals because of their connection to Parker? The keyword Fowler adds when it comes to Dallas\u2019 interest in the best available pass rushers is \u201cmonitor.\u201d If the numbers get outrageous, then they might go in a different direction. A name that could make a lot of sense for the Cowboys is Kwity Paye of the Indianapolis Colts.<\/p>\n He\u2019s totaled 30.5 sacks over his five seasons in the NFL and could play a similar role in Parker\u2019s defense to what Brandon Graham had in Philadelphia with inside-out versatility.<\/p>\n 3. Dallas may want to add a few pieces in the secondary<\/p>\n One of Jerry Jones\u2019 biggest regrets in recent history seems to be not re-signing Jourdan Lewis last offseason<\/a>. Dallas would have been much better off with Lewis, given his skill set, familiarity with the defense, and leadership off the field. His presence was missed in more ways than one. It sounds like Jerry isn\u2019t willing to make the same mistake twice.<\/p>\n Fowler: They [Dallas] will also comb the free agent safety class (Arizona\u2019s Jalen Thompson<\/a> makes sense), and they need a nickel corner. Dallas has felt the void since Jourdan Lewis<\/a> left.<\/p>\n Christian Parker talked about how important the nickel position is for his defense at his introductory press conference. There are a few free agent corners out there who should be an upgrade from what Dallas had last year, but the route that makes the most sense is drafting a cornerback in the first round.<\/p>\n Donovan Wilson and Juanyeh Thomas are free agents, leaving Malik Hooker and Markquese Bell as the two players under contract on the team with starting experience at safety. Bell is someone who could play a more significant role in Parker\u2019s defense given his position versatility. Where does that leave Hooker? Dallas could save almost $7 million if they cut him before June 1, but how does Parker feel about him fitting into his scheme?<\/p>\n How Dallas approaches the safety position at the start of free agency will tell us a lot.<\/p>\n 4. Brandon Aubrey could have a contract sooner rather than later<\/p>\n You know the negotiations with Aubrey go sideways when he, his wife, and Todd France (Aubrey\u2019s agent) go to Instagram and call the reports around it all \u201cfake.\u201d The Cowboys have remained optimistic in getting a deal done with Aubrey to make him the NFL\u2019s highest-paid kicker. The holdup is just how much Dallas is willing to go and raise that number.<\/p>\n The Cowboys made an offer to Aubrey last year to be the highest paid at his position<\/a>. The number has never been $7.5 million per year. Aubrey and his camp reportedly asked for $10 million per year, which would blow past the current mark with Harrison Butker ($6.4 million annually), but that has also been a disputed figure.<\/p>\n If it comes down to it, the front office is prepared to apply a second-round tender on their kicker, bringing his salary for 2026 between $5.5-5.8 million. It seemed as though negotiations had stalled after things got out of hand, but a resolution may be coming soon.<\/p>\n Graziano: Sabre rattling<\/a> aside, I expect the Cowboys to reach a deal with Brandon Aubrey<\/a> at some point in the first week or two of March that makes him the highest-paid kicker in the league. If they don\u2019t get a deal done by the restricted free agent tender deadline, Dallas plans to put a second-round tender on Aubrey. That means he\u2019d make $5.767 million this season if the two sides don\u2019t reach a deal and the Cowboys would get a second-round pick if another team made Aubrey a contract offer they didn\u2019t want to match.<\/p>\n Getting a deal done within the next 10 days before the second-round tender would be ideal for both parties. The front office would lock up the league\u2019s best kicker long-term, and Aubrey will be making more than the price that comes with the tag.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Dallas Cowboys had an eventful NFL combine. 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