Dallas Cowboys News & Rumors

Patriots Trading Joe Milton To Cowboys

April 3rd, 2025 at 10:19pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Patriots are trading quarterback Joe Milton to the Cowboys, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Dallas will send one of its fifth-round compensatory picks in April’s draft to New England in exchange for Milton and a seventh-rounder, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. The Patriots received the 171st overall pick and the Cowboys now have the 217th overall pick, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Milton was a sixth-round pick in 2024 who spent his rookie year as the Patriots’ QB3 behind No. 3 pick Drake Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett. The 6-foot-5, 246-pound Milton brings a rare set of physical tools, including an especially powerful arm. He impressed in his lone appearance last season, completing 22 of his 29 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown, and a 111.4 passer rating in Week 18 against the Bills.

That performance helped to generate some trade buzz surrounding Milton, which picked up after the Patriots signed Joshua Dobbs. Dobbs arrived in New England to take over Brissett’s role, keeping Milton third on the depth chart with little potential for playing time. Milton was not seen as “an ideal backup” for Maye, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. The team even told Dobbs that they were looking to trade Milton in order to build their quarterback room around Maye and prioritize his development, per Breer.

Milton also wanted out of New England, seeing himself as a future starter and knowing he would have a better chance at seeing the field elsewhere, both in the short- and long-term. The Patriots granted permission for Milton to seek a trade, per Schultz, and the Cowboys “showed the most interest from the start.” The two teams had been negotiating for a few weeks before talks accelerated at league meetings in Florida, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.

A number of other teams expressed interest in trading for Milton, according to Schultz, including the Raiders, Eagles, Giants, and Steelers. The Patriots had at least one better offer on the table, but worked with Milton to send him to his preferred landing spot in Dallas.

“My family grew up a Cowboys fan,” said Milton (via Schultz). “My mom always had a Cowboys shirt on. She always talked about them. Living in Texas has been a longtime dream of mine. And now I’m with them. I’m ready to work.”

Milton will arrive in Dallas as the presumptive backup to Dak Prescott. The Cowboys explored an extension with 2024 backup Trey Lance after Prescott went down last season, per Archer, but the former No. 3 pick remains a free agent. Dallas also had interest in Brissett and Drew Lock in free agency, according to Archer.

Milton has three years and $3.2MM remaining on his contract, per OverTheCap, while Brissett’s shorter, two-year deal with the Cardinals is worth three times as much. With Prescott still commanding the highest salary in the NFL, the Cowboys opted to trade for a young, cost-controlled with developmental upside over the next three years.

Cowboys Eyeing Tyler Smith, DaRon Bland, Jake Ferguson, Brandon Aubrey Extensions

April 3rd, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Progress has been made regarding a Micah Parsons extension, although the Cowboys still have work to do on that front. Other candidates for new deals are on the team’s radar, and they could have agreements in place this offseason.

When speaking to the media at the league meetings, EVP Stephen Jones listed a quartet of extension candidates for the Cowboys (courtesy of The Athletic’s Jon Machota). Left guard Tyler Smith, cornerback DaRon Bland, tight end Jake Ferguson and kicker Brandon Aubrey are all targets for new deals. The first three players are members of Dallas’ 2022 draft class, while Aubrey has been in Dallas for the past two years.

“There are scenarios where we sit down, have a visit with them,” Jones said. “You got to have two sides to get a negotiation done. We are certainly look at that with those guys.”

Smith was drafted with the intention of starting at guard and then moving to the blindside to replace Tyron Smith. The latter’s hamstring tear during training camp led to a change of plans, though. Tyler Smith played primarily at left tackle out of necessity during his rookie season before moving back inside the following year. Dallas kept the former first-rounder at guard for the most part in 2024, left tackle Tyler Guyton‘s rookie campaign. If Guyton develops as hoped, Smith could remain in place along the interior for years to come.

The guard market has seen surges in recent years, and five players are now attached to an AAV of $20MM or more. Smith ranked 11th in PFF grade amongst guards in 2023, and slotted in at No. 15 at the position last year. A new deal at the top of the pecking order may not be in store for the 24-year-old, but he represents a logical candidate for a long-term investment. Presuming Dallas picks up Smith’s fifth-year option for 2026, he will be scheduled to receive $21.27MM.

Bland outperformed his draft stock during his first two seasons in particular. The former fifth-rounder racked up five interceptions as a rookie, then added nine (including an NFL-record five returned for touchdowns) to his total in 2023. Bland was limited to just seven games this past campaign, failing to record a pick along the way. That could hurt his value on a new pact, one which would give the Cowboys a pair of corners (Trevon Diggs being the other) on second contracts.

Ferguson assumed TE1 duties when Dalton Schultz departed in free agency in 2023. He quickly became a key figure on offense, registering 761 yards and five touchdowns on 71 catches. Ferguson, 26, faced high expectations entering this past season as a result. Across 14 games, however, he only managed 494 scoreless yards while the Cowboys dealt with many injuries on offense. A rebound in 2025 would help the Wisconsin product’s free agent value if he elected to test the market. Failing that, he could ink a deal keeping him atop the depth chart.

Aubrey’s arrival in Dallas paved the way for what has been a remarkable run of success so far. A former draftee of Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC, he won out the kicking role in 2023 and connected on 36 of 38 field goal tries. Aubrey saw his FG accuracy rate fall to 85.1% this past campaign, but he recorded a 65-yard field goal (one yard shy of matching the all-time record). At the age of 30, he would be counted on remain one of the league’s top kickers – a position which now features three $6MM-per-year players – in the event he inked a long-term deal. Aubrey could alternatively be retained next offseason via a restricted free agent tender.

Quarterback Dak Prescott, receiver CeeDee Lamb and (presuming an agreement is eventually reached) Parsons will account for major Cowboys cap commitments in 2025 and beyond. The quartet Jones named as important players to retain will also be in line for raises in the event some or all of them ink new pacts in the near future, though.

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons NFL’s Highest-Paid Non-QB?

April 2nd, 2025 at 4:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

April 2: Parsons took umbrage at Jones’ recent comments dismissing the importance of his agent, David Mulugheta. Jones stated that “the agent is not a concern here” and even said that he didn’t know Mulugheta’s name, per Hill.

Parsons fired back in a post on X, saying that he wouldn’t sign a contract without his agents involvement and telling the Cowboys that there would be “no backdoors” in their negotiations. The All-Pro edge rusher asked the Joneses to contact his agent regarding negotiations, but they have not reached out, per Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. Mulugheta has spoken with Cowboys director of salary cap/player contracts Adam Prasifka.

APRIL 1: As of last week, it appeared as though no extension offer had been made by the Cowboys to Micah Parsons. That has apparently changed, and the team is willing to go to record-breaking lengths to get a deal done.

Dallas has submitted an offer which will make Parsons the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback, Clarence Hill Jr. of All DLLS reports. That title currently belongs to receiver Ja’Marr Chase, whose Bengals extension averages $40.25MM per year. Amongst edge rushers in particular (and defenders in general), Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett leads the way at $40MM annually.

Interestingly, Hill adds an agreement is in place following a meeting between Parsons and owner Jerry Jones. Serious extension talks were not believed to have ocurred prior to this latest update. A sticking point with respect to a contract being signed, however, is the fact the summit between Jones and Parsons did not involve the latter’s agent, David Mulugheta. No talks with Mulugheta present have taken place since the Combine, per Hill.

“Some guys want to visit,” EVP Stephen Jones recently said when speaking about Parsons’ situation (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “And some guys don’t want to visit about their money. We respect both ways. But if players want to come in and talk to us, we got an open-door policy, whether it’s Jerry or myself. Micah likes to visit, so that’s a good thing.”

Jerry Jones confirmed on Tuesday that multiple meetings with Parsons have occurred and that an agreement is in place on several contract-related fronts (h/t ESPN’s Todd Archer). Nothing is imminent at this time, however. Nevertheless, it is clear considerable progress has been made toward ensuring the 25-year-old remains in Dallas for the foreseeable future.

Parsons has racked up between 12 and 14 sacks each year to date. He is under contract for 2025 as a result of the team’s decision to pick up his $24.01MM fifth-year option, but a long-term pact will of course be much more expensive. The four-time Pro Bowler has been attached to an asking price of $200MM on his extension, although it is unclear how long such a pact would be. Hitting that total on a five-year deal would match Garrett’s AAV; if the Cowboys are indeed prepared to move Parsons to the top of the defensive pecking order, though, his new deal will need to be shorter or reach an even higher total value.

The Cowboys made a pair of monster long-term commitments in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last offseason. It quickly became clear a new Parsons accord would need to wait until 2025, and the Penn State product’s initial goal of working out a deal before free agency was pushed back to training camp. Given today’s development, hitting that new target certainly seems feasible.

The team has previously spoken to Parsons about attending voluntary workouts this spring. On that point, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer said (via Archer) he expects that to be the case. Dallas’ offseason program begins April 14, and Parsons attending could represent another sign an agreement is close.

NFL Competition Committee ‘Split’ On Tush Push Ban

March 31st, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

MARCH 31: Although McDermott’s team has increasingly turned to using a version of this play, the competition committee member confirmed Monday (via 94WIP.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks) he would support banning it. This sets up a rather significant vote Tuesday.

MARCH 30: In 2022, the Eagles introduced the “tush push,” an extremely effective quarterback sneak with players pushing Jalen Hurts from behind to secure first downs in short-yardage situations. Three years later, the NFL is considering banning the play based on a proposal submitted by the Packers.

The proposed rule change would “prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap,” per ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler. Green Bay’s proposal is expected to be “hotly contested” during league meetings in Florida this week and will likely be voted on by team owners Tuesday. This comes shortly after The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicated some momentum has emerged for banning the play.

There is support for the rule change on the NFL’s competition committee, comprised of 10 coaches and executives. Among them are Rams head coach Sean McVay and Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who had an “animated side conversation” with Eagles executives Howie Roseman and Jon Ferrari on Sunday afternoon, according to Kahler. That was after a football operations meeting produced a “heated” discussion when the proposed language was introduced.

The competition committee is “split” on the tush push ban, per Mark Maske of The Washington Post. The same is true of the league’s 32-team voting body, 24 of whom would need to vote in favor of the ban for it to be implemented.

Resistance from within the committee is likely led by McDermott, whose Bills have adopted the play from the Eagles. Combined, they have run the play more times than the other 30 teams combined over the last three years, leading to accusations that the Packers’ proposal is unfairly targeting the two teams.

Falcons CEO Rich McKay, who chairs the competition committee, acknowledged that belief on Sunday.

“The thing that nobody likes about the discussion we are having…is that the rule is directed towards two teams,” said McKay (via Kahler). “I don’t think any of us like the fact that there are teams associated with this rule proposal.”

The Packers listed player safety and pace of play as the reason for their proposal, though little evidence exists (or can exist) of either claim. Other teams believe that Green Bay wants to ban the play because they can neither replicate it on offense nor stop it on defense.

The play was only run 101 times in 2024, 0.28% of the league’s total plays, according to Kahler, so there is not enough data to support player safety concerns. The same goes for pace of play, though the Commanders’ repeated penalties in January’s NFC championship game could be a blueprint for how teams may approach defending the tush push in the future.

Rather than give up an easy touchdown at the goal line, Washington tried to jump Philadelphia’s snaps, leading to four penalties in the span of six plays. Each flag only advanced the ball half the distance to the end zone, and the Eagles couldn’t score. Eventually, referee Shawn Hochuli stepped in and warned the Commanders that another penalty would result in the officials awarding a touchdown to the Eagles, relying on a little-used rule prohibiting a “palpably unfair act.”

The NFL has a multitude of reasons to want to avoid a recurrence of the Commanders’ strategy. Other teams may try to force referees into the difficult position of uniformly enforcing an obscure rule to award a touchdown to a team that never actually reached the end zone. That would complicate league efforts to keep officiating consistent and take considerable time and excitement out of the game.

There are other arguments to ban the tush push. One is consistency with league rules that prohibit pushing in other situations.

“We don’t allow the linebackers to push the defensive linemen on extra points and we’re just trying to be consistent,” said Stephen Jones, the co-owner of the Cowboys and a member of the competition committee, before offering a counterargument against concerns about targeting the Bills and the Eagles. “These quarterbacks, I’m sure they would be wildly successful whether you’re pushed or not,” continued Jones (via Kahler). “I’m sure [Hurts will] make first downs at a high rate, whether someone’s pushing him or not, because he’s an inordinately strong special athlete.”

While a tush push ban would have a disproportionate effect on the Eagles and the Bills, both teams would still retain the core advantage that makes them so successful: extremely powerful quarterbacks. Kahler also described more general criticism about the tush push for the nature of the play: “Coaches, executives and players have argued it’s not a football play, with some comparing it to a rugby play.”

If the rule is approved, the NFL will then have to figure out how to enforce it. That uncertainty is another reason that teams may hesitate to vote for the Packers’ proposal. The Eagles believe they have some support to stop the rule change given that three of their former assistant coaches were hired as head coaches in the last two years.

“We’ll see how it goes,” said Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “All I will say about it is (Jonathan) Gannon, (Shane) Steichen and (Kellen) Moore better vote for it. They are in the position right now because of that play. So all three, I better have those three votes right there and the Eagles’ vote. I at least know we have four.”

Based on comments by Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles, Texans GM Nick Caserio, and Ravens HC John Harbaugh, those three teams are unlikely to support the tush push ban either, according to Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press. Bowles and Caserio believe that teams should have to figure out how to stop the play. Harbaugh offered a different take on Stephen Jones’ consistency argument, saying that officiating is already inconsistent in regards to pushing.

If Gannon’s Cardinals, Steichen’s Colts, and Moore’s Saints also vote no, only two more teams would be needed to shoot down the Packers’ proposal. That would preserve the tush push for the 2025 season, though teams could certainly renew efforts to ban it next offseason.

Cowboys Planning Further Free Agent Moves

March 30th, 2025 at 1:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

In recent years, the Cowboys have not been major players on the free agent market. 2025 has seen a number of new players brought in, but to no surprise a splashy move has yet to take place. Not many high-profile options remain at this point of the offseason, of course, but Dallas could have more additions coming soon.

“We’re not done yet,” executive vice president Stephen Jones told reporters on Sunday (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota). “We still got some things that are outstanding that we’re trying to get done. Missed a few guys along the way too in terms of the number just being a lot higher than we thought it would be on a couple guys. Overall we’re real pleased with what we were able to do with our roster and help the team.”

Dallas was among the teams which showed interest in wideout Cooper Kupp, who ultimately inked a three-year deal with the Seahawks. Like others, the Cowboys stood down knowing how high Kupp’s asking price was. The receiver position is one which could see an addition for Dallas given the team’s need to replace Brandin Cooks as a No. 2 option. Ex-Cowboy Amari Cooper, just like Keenan Allen and Tyler Lockett, remains unsigned at this point.

Having seen Rico Dowdle depart on the open market, Dallas has made a pair of backfield additions (Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders). Those veterans are set to see a notable role in 2025, although many still see the Cowboys as a suitor for top RB prospect Ashton Jeanty or another rookie in next month’s draft. The team’s defense has seen a number of additions already, in the form of a reunion with edge rusher Dante Fowler along with trades for cornerback Kaiir Elam and linebacker Kenneth Murray.

Given Jones’ remarks, further moves could be in store prior to the draft (although many veterans are often not added until after that event takes place). The Cowboys entered Sunday with just over $34.5MM in cap space, more than enough funds for at least one short-term addition. It will be interesting to see if a strong pursuit takes place in the near future.

Giants View Travis Hunter Primarily As CB; Cowboys Showing Interest

March 29th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

A consensus does not exist amongst the teams at the top of the draft order with respect to how Travis Hunter should be used in the NFL. Many see the Heisman winner primarily as a cornerback, though, and the Giants seem to agree on that point.

Hunter is considered a “defense-first prospect” by the Giants, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports. The potential for usage as a receiver exists as well, of course, and opinions could change at Colorado’s upcoming Pro Day. The two-way star wants to replicate his heavy workload at the NFL level, and his ability to do that will depend in large part on where he winds up being drafted.

The Giants entered the offseason with cornerback representing a glaring need. Despite coming off a season-ending injury, Paulson Adebo landed a lucrative deal to head to New York, putting him in position to handle starting duties on the perimeter. The team also has 2024 third-rounder Dru Phillips in place as a first-team option in the slot, and Hunter could find himself as the other boundary starter opposite Adebo. Deonte Banks faced high expectations upon arrival as a first-rounder in 2023, but he has not developed as hoped so far.

A usage rate heavy on defensive duties could still leave Hunter available for at least part-time duties as a receiver. The Giants have Malik Nabers atop the depth chart for the present as well as the long-term future, and they retained veteran Darius Slayton this offseason. Hunter could occupy a complementary role in the passing game ahead of Wan’Dale Robinson and/or Jalin Hyatt in the pecking order, but a larger role would likely await him at corner as things stand.

The Titans are increasingly being viewed as likely to select Cam Ward first overall. That would leave the Giants – set to draft third overall – as one of the teams strongly in contention to add Hunter. A quarterback selection at some point in April’s draft could be in store for New York, although the deals for Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson have given the team short-term veteran options under center.

While it would come as a surprise if Hunter remained on the board past the first few selections in the draft, he has admirers beyond the top of the selection order. One of those is Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, as noted by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini (video link). Dallas currently owns the 12th overall pick, so an aggressive trade would no doubt be required to get within striking distance. Hunter would of course nonetheless represent a splashy addition for a Cowboys team looking to rebound from a poor 2024 season.

Texans To Add LB E.J. Speed; Cowboys, 49ers Expressed Interest

March 29th, 2025 at 11:53am CST by Sam Robinson

E.J. Speed will follow Azeez Al-Shaair in making an intra-AFC South free agency move. After six Colts seasons, Speed is moving south.

The Texans are bringing in the veteran linebacker on a one-year deal worth $5MM, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets. Although Speed is coming off his most productive season, the former Indianapolis starter remained in free agency for nearly three weeks. He ended up costing the Texans far less than bringing in Al-Shaair from the Titans did. Speed’s deal includes $3.25MM guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Negotiations began yesterday, per Wilson, who adds that the 49ers and Cowboys were also vying for Speed’s services (video link).

Dallas’ DeMarvion Overshown plans to suit up in 2025, but after suffering a brutal knee injury in December, it is unclear exactly when he will return to the field and if he will ever be able to realize his considerable potential. We recently named the Niners as a potential Speed suitor after the club was unable to re-sign Dre Greenlaw this offseason, but according to Wilson, Speed wanted to play for Houston HC DeMeco Ryans. He also saw the Texans as a more playoff-worthy outfit.

Previously re-signing with the Colts on a two-year, $8MM contract, Speed became important insurance for a Colts team that saw injuries sidetrack Shaquille Leonard. As the latter ended up an in-season 2023 release, Speed’s play factored into that decision. The Colts turned to Speed as an every-down player following the Leonard release, and that trend continued last season.

After a 102-tackle 2023 slate that included a career-high 12 TFLs, Speed posted a career-best 142 tackles last year. Helping to replace Bobby Okereke, Speed added seven TFLs and intercepted a pass last season. The Colts had already extended Zaire Franklin on a deal averaging more than $10MM per year, and the team’s much-rumored philosophical shift did include two big-ticket DB additions (Camryn Bynum, Charvarius Ward). The Colts will opt not to pay a second linebacker, letting Speed walk.

Pro Football Focus viewed Speed as a better linebacker in 2023, ranking him 48th among off-ball regulars in 2023. Last season, PFF slotted Speed 67th out of 84 qualified options. Despite making 26 starts on his $4MM-per-year contract, Speed did not walk into a strong market this offseason. His age (30 in June) undoubtedly contributed, but the Texans will see if the special-teamer-turned-starter can contribute in an Al-Shaair-fronted LB cadre.

Houston, which lost role player Devin White to Las Vegas on Friday, has Al-Shaair under contract through 2026. The defending AFC South champs have Christian Harris and Henry To’oTo’o rostered as well. Harris missed most of last season due to injury, and To’oTo’o led the team’s LBs with 936 defensive snaps. Speed played 1,011 — third-most among off-ball LBs in 2024. If nothing else, the Texans have high-end insurance against another LB injury and figure to give Speed a long look as an Al-Shaair three-down complement.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Micah Parsons Seeking $200MM Extension?

March 28th, 2025 at 11:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys took plenty of heat for holding off on CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott extensions until late last summer. Micah Parsons‘ negotiations (or lack thereof) are reminding of Dallas’ 2024, though it is still early.

No substantive Parsons talks have commenced, and no offer is believed to be on the table from the Cowboys just yet. But Parsons has a big number in mind. The fifth-year edge rusher is believed to be pursuing a deal that would make him the NFL’s first $200MM defender, the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins reports. No non-quarterback has reached that number, though the Cowboys’ history would point to the team being interested — depending on term length.

It is not known if the contract-year dynamo is targeting a four-year, $200MM pact — which would shatter the defender record Myles Garrett just set — or merely a five-year, $200MM deal that would match the Browns All-Pro for AAV. Parsons expressed interest last year in becoming the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, even floating a $40MM-per-year number well before the EDGE market was close to that range.

It would stand to reason Parsons would set his sights on a $50MM-per-year extension to start negotiations, even if that proves unattainable. As of now, only quarterbacks are in the $50MM-AAV club. A three-time All-Pro, Parsons makes sense as the player who could take the defender market there. Even with the cap rising at a rapid rate during the 2020 CBA, the Cowboys are unlikely to be ready to raise the defender rate that high at this point.

Garrett secured $40MM per year despite being set to turn 30 in December. Parsons will be 26 in May. If the Cowboys can convince Parsons to accept a five-year deal, it would be in line with many of their big-ticket contract structures. Dallas has successfully managed to tie down stars to five- and even six-year deals, but the team could not do so with Lamb or Prescott, who each signed four-year extensions. As the cap keeps rising, it would make sense for Parsons to follow suit in an effort to be able to secure a top-market third contract when that time comes.

As for Parsons’ plans regarding voluntary offseason workouts without an extension, Watkins adds the 2021 first-rounder is undecided. Parsons has been an infrequent participant in the past, though he has always reported to minicamp. It would cost him barely $100K to skip the mandatory workout this year. If the Cowboys do not have him signed by June, a minicamp absence should probably be considered in play. Several players, including Lamb, have taken this step during extension talks in recent years. Zack Martin held out of training camp in 2023, and the Cowboys eventually caved by authorizing nearly $40MM guaranteed to close his contract. Those precedents are certainly relevant re: Parsons.

Prescott’s deal, thanks to historic leverage, came in $5MM (in terms of AAV) north of where the QB market had previously plateaued. Lamb is the NFL’s third-highest-paid wide receiver. The Cowboys have shot down Parsons trade rumors, though a December report suggested internal discussions about a potential trade occurred, and appear prepared to pay up — even if it will mean a historically top-heavy payroll. But their pattern of being late to the party regarding extensions could prove costly here.

Garrett already drove the market to $40MM per year — up from Maxx Crosby‘s $35.5MM number reached earlier this month — and T.J. Watt will naturally be interested in topping that. Aidan Hutchinson also should be considered likely to score a deal north of Garrett’s, seeing as he is going into an age-25 season. Those deals coming to pass would give Parsons more ammo. Though, Watt and Hutchinson not moving too far past $40MM per year would also provide the Cowboys with the ability to keep Parsons’ cost in a known neighborhood.

Cowboys Have Not Submitted Micah Parsons Extension Offer

March 27th, 2025 at 10:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the first few waves of free agency in the books, teams can turn their attention to working out extensions in a number of cases. That includes Micah Parsons and the Cowboys, although no agreement on that front is expected any time soon.

Parsons is set to play on his fifth-year option in 2025, but a long-term pact will come at a much higher price than his scheduled $24.01MM for next season. An extension may not require making the four-time Pro Bowler the league’s highest-paid edge rusher; nevertheless, the new deals for Maxx Crosby (Raiders) and Myles Garrett (Browns) have raised the top of the position’s market. Garrett’s Cleveland extension carries an annual average value of $40MM, a figure which will no doubt play a role in Cowboys-Parsons negotiations.

Recent reporting on that front indicated serious contract talks have yet to take place, and NFL Network’s Jane Slater adds no offer has been submitted at this point. Parsons and owner Jerry Jones have been in communication “many times” during the offseason, per Slater, which comes as no surprise. The 25-year-old indicated last month a plan was in place regarding an extension, and preliminary talks opened up earlier in March. This latest update makes it clear, however, that considerable work is still to be done for an agreement to be reached.

Parsons missed only one game across his first three seasons in Dallas, recording between 13 and 14 sacks each year. The Penn State product was limited to 13 contests in 2024, but he still managed 12 sacks and 46 quarterback pressures (the second-highest total of his career). Expectations will be high for continued production on a multi-year deal, one which will of course take into account the cap commitments already made to the likes of quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb.

Dallas had DeMarcus Lawrence in place as part of a starting tandem with Parsons for four years, but the team did not make an offer to the former before seeing him depart for Seattle as a free agent. Veteran Dante Fowler returned to the Cowboys, and he joins an edge rush group which also features recent draftees Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland. Retaining cost-effective options at the position will of course be key with Parsons representing a major long-term cap commitment once his deal is in place.

Per Slater, discussions between team and player took place at the Combine but nothing substantive has transpired since then. She adds Parsons’ camp is open to further talks at any time, and it will be interesting to see if negotiations are pursued in the near future as a result.

2025 NFL Draft Rumors: Saints, Packers, Falcons, Revel

March 27th, 2025 at 10:13pm CST by Ely Allen

The Saints continue to stay busy having visits with 2025 NFL Draft prospects, according to multiple reports from Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

Last night, the team hosted several Georgia players for dinner, including a top defensive end prospect in Mykel Williams as well as wide receiver Arian Smith. They also reportedly had dinner this week with Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew, a likely Day 3 prospect whose name has not been making the rounds this early in the process. Lastly, the team was in Knoxville today reportedly meeting with some Tennessee players, including running back Dylan Sampson and defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott.

Underhill adds that the team has been doing a ton of work during the pre-draft process on running backs. Even though lead back Alvin Kamara had a career-high 950 rushing yards in 2024, combined with 543 receiving yards, the sheer depth of this year’s class of running back prospects nearly ensures that quality backs will be available into the fourth or fifth round. Dane Brugler of The Athletic has eight running backs listed in his top 100 prospects list, so it makes sense that New Orleans is doing its homework on the position.

Here are a few other rumors concerning possibilities in the 2025 NFL Draft:

The Packers currently have eight picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, but if general manager Brian Gutekunst has anything to say about it, they could be angling for more. According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, when asked about not having many picks this year, Gutekunst added the addendum “yet” to the end of the statement, indicating that he would have some interest in acquiring more picks via trade. Green Bay currently sits at No. 23 overall in the first round. It’s been posited that many teams from pick No. 20 on are looking to trade back out of the first round due to a lack of elite, top-end talent in this year’s class, as opposed to the tremendous depth the class seems to provide. Unfortunately, due to that same issue, there are going to be few, if any, takers willing to give up precious draft capital to move up into the first round.
One trend we seem to be seeing shows the Falcons as likely candidates to go defense in the first round of the draft. Josh Kendall of The Athletic selected safety Nick Emmanwori in the site’s beat writer mock draft, and the other players he says he considered with the pick, safety Malaki Starks, linebackers Jalon Walker and Jihaad Campbell, cornerback Will Johnson, and edges Mike Green and Shemar Stewart, all reside on the defensive side of the ball. Kendall bases this belief that the team will go defense off of new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich wanting to build a new, uniquely hybrid defense.
Lastly, Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network reported today that the Cowboys will be hosting East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel for a top-30 visit next week. We know that Revel is attempting to make a comeback from a torn ACL that ended his final collegiate season after only three games and that he is projected to be back in time for training camp. What makes this an interesting visit is that, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS, Revel’s ACL repair surgery was performed by Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper, likely giving the franchise a uniquely exclusive insight on his prognosis and recovery.

Load More Posts