At approximately $56.133MM in the red, the Cowboys own the worst salary cap situation in the NFL heading into March. That will not be the case for long. Owner Jerry Jones indicated the Cowboys will adjust several contracts to give them far more financial freedom before the legal tampering period begins March 9.
Dallas will restructure deals belonging to quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and left guard Tyler Smith, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Doing so will free up $66MM in breathing room. The Cowboys will also rework contracts for the expensive defensive tackle trio of Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark. As things stand, they are due to count an untenable $63MM against the cap in 2026.
Once those changes become official, Jones will act aggressively to improve a team coming off back-to-back seven-win seasons. Jones has not signed an outside free agent to a multiyear deal since 2020. Adding defensive end Dante Fowler for $6MM was the Cowboys’ priciest free agent move last offseason. It appears they will operate much differently this year.
“I would bet that we will spend more money in free agency than we have,” said Jones, who added that the team also has “ammunition” to be active on the trade front.
On the offensive side, the Cowboys have already placed the $27.298MM franchise tag on receiver George Pickens and re-signed running back Javonte Williams to a three-year, $24MM pact. Those two were key contributors on one of the league’s best offenses in 2025, whereas the Cowboys’ last-ranked scoring defense was a train wreck. The unit predictably stumbled after losing its best player, outside linebacker Micah Parsons, in late-August blockbuster trade with the Packers.
The Cowboys received Clark and two first-round picks in the Parsons swap, giving them a pair of No. 1s in each of the next two drafts. They have picks 12 and 20 in Round 1 this April. It seems fair to expect the Cowboys to use both of those selections to upgrade their defense. Regardless, the 83-year-old Jones expects immediate impact from his top rookies in 2026 ( via Machotao).
Having kept Pickens and Williams from the open market, the Cowboys will turn their attention to complementing their prolific offense with a vastly improved defense. New coordinator Christian Parker‘s plan to implement a 3-4 base, which Dallas has not run since 2012, only increases the urgency for outside additions.
Do they just put this article on repeat?