The Dallas Cowboys have gotten under the $301.2 million salary cap Wednesday by restructuring the contracts of quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and left guard Tyler Smith, according to sources. The Cowboys were nearly $55 million over the cap before the moves, but the restructuring cleared around $66 million in space.
The Cowboys have been in the market for a superstar pass rusher since they traded Micah Parsons to the Packers last August. The Packers sent two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Cowboys for the 26-year-old Parsons.
The edge rusher need became elevated on Monday with news that Donovan Ezeiruaku may not be available to the team until training camp. Ezeiruaku is young and coming off of his rookie season, but it is hard not to get spooked by those kinds of things.
While many other teams are busy handing out massive contracts like Halloween candy, the front office in Frisco typically retreats into a shell of fiscal conservatism that only the likes of Scrooge McDuck truly appreciates. As a division rival inks a big-name player, Cowboys supporters are left refreshing their feeds only for news of them signing a backup long snapper.
Outside of a few folks who were blessed with the gift of prophesy, most NFL fans understand that trying to predict the future, per Peter F. Drucker, is like 'trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window.'
Cowboys players graded head coach Brian Schottenheimer as an A- head coach after his first season as the team's head coach, and honestly, that probably is not bad for what he had to deal with his first season. Nutritionist/Dietician: B+ Cowboys players gave the organization a B+ in this category for the second year in a row. They also voted the locker as a B+. The weight room was an A-, and Jerry Jones was somehow a B.
The Cowboys are primarily there to evaluate and interview players for the 2026 draft, where they hold two first-round picks, but there will be much more going on than that. The Cowboys will meet with agents for their upcoming free agents, including Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens. The new defensive staff, led by coordinator Christian Parker, will meet with prospects and also put together its playbook.
For those unaware, Aubrey is a free agent, but he is a restricted free agent. Should the Cowboys not have a deal in place with him before free agency begins then they can place a tender on him relative to a first- or second-round pick. In that hypothetical a team could negotiate a deal with Aubrey, but the Cowboys would have the right of first refusal. If Dallas declined to match the offer then the team who made it to Aubrey would owe the Cowboys their draft pick according to the tender.
But with salary cap concerns and a change in defensive coaching, DT isn't entirely immune to potential 2026 offseason drama. Quinnen Williams - The new centerpiece of the line, this perennial Pro Bowler will again be looked to as a catalyst for improved performance up front. After seeing what the Eagles defense got out of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, the prospect for what Christian Parker might mine from Williams' presence is tantalizing.
Since coming off the board in the sixth round of the 2019 draft, safety Donovan Wilson has been a career-long Cowboy. A trip to free agency awaits Wilson in the next few weeks, but the seven-year veteran hopes to stay in Dallas, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports. Wilson, who will turn 31 on Saturday, had a brief foray into free agency in March 2023. The Cowboys quickly brought Wilson back on a three-year, $24MM deal. It's unknown if the Cowboys will act in a similar fashion with Wilson this year. Watkins casts doubt on Wilson's future in Dallas, contending the team should get younger at safety. Although Wilson may end up elsewhere in 2026, the Cowboys continued to heavily rely on him last season.
Joined at the podium by head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the presser did not feature either Jerry or Stephen Jones. Although this dynamic led to some direct lines of questioning about what it meant about the process of hiring Parker and Schottenheimer's overall influence on the organization, the overall tone with having two play-calling coaches fielding questions together was heavy on the nuts of bolts of how the Cowboys will actually work to field a better defense in 2026.
