3 Moves the Dallas Cowboys Must Make This Offseason
As the NFL offseason officially begins for all 32 teams, we will examine what each franchise must do in free agency and the NFL Draft to emerge a better, more complete team when the 2025 season kicks off in September.
One year removed from Jerry Jones vowing to be “all-in,” resulting in the Dallas Cowboys watching a talent exodus and an ill-advised reunion with the likes of running back Ezekiel Elliott, Stephen Jones suggests the franchise will be “selectively aggressive” this offseason.
Dallas is going to need to be, in order to close an exponentially widening chasm between the Cowboys, Washington Commanders (fresh off an NFC Championship Game berth with arguably the premier quarterback in the NFC, on his rookie contract), and the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles who have reached the Super Bowl now four times since the Cowboys’ most recent appearance, in 1996.
The Joneses have watched what was once the premier offensive line in football deteriorate. Dallas hasn’t quite figured out how to replace Amari Cooper’s production after trading him to the Cleveland Browns or find a consistent enough second-option opposite playmaking wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and have some colossal decisions to make when it comes to All-Pro Micah Parsons’ future.
To the Cowboys’ credit, Dallas checked a major box Tuesday, signing star defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to a four-year contract extension, averaging out to $21 million, annually. Odighizuwa is a premier player at a premium position, who produced seven sacks and 60 pressures as a disruptive force along the interior of the defensive line last season.
This could prove to be one of the more critical offseasons of Jones’ ownership of the Cowboys, but with a healthy Dak Prescott returning in 2025 and some boldly aggressive moves in free agency and the NFL Draft, Dallas could be a sleeper contender to push for a return to the postseason.
Here’s a full breakdown of the Cowboys’ assets to rebuild with this offseason, and three moves that could turn things around in Dallas.
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Dallas Cowboys Cap Space
The Joneses have some real work to do before the new league year begins and free agency gets underway.
As things currently stand, the Cowboys are approximately $324,000 over the cap.
Fortunately for Dallas, the Joneses can solve two problems with one move by signing Parsons to a long-term extension and lowering the $24 million cap number on his fifth-year option. Likewise, one year after inking their franchise quarterback and star receiver to lucrative long-term extensions, it won’t be surprising if/when the Cowboys restructure Prescott and Lamb’s contracts to convert some salary into signing bonuses or move money into future years.
The Cowboys have some tools and options available to create spending flexibility, but Dallas needs to show some uncharacteristic urgency with these moves in order to make them in time to have any sort of meaningful impact on their ability to compete in free agency.
Dallas Cowboys Draft Picks
Picking No. 12 overall, the Cowboys are well-positioned to emerge from the first round with an electrifying and game-altering offensive weapon, or one of the top linemen in this class.
Round 1, pick No. 12 overall
Round 2, pick No. 44 overall
Round 3 pick No. 76 overall
Round 5, pick No. 150 overall
Round 5, pick No. 170 overall (Projected Compensatory Pick)
Round 5, pick No. 173 overall (Projected Compensatory Pick)
Round 5, pick No. 174 overall (Projected Compensatory Pick)
Round 6, pick No. 190 overall
Round 6, pick No. 211 overall (Projected Compensatory Pick)
Round 7, pick No. 249 (via Kansas City Chiefs)
3 Moves the Dallas Cowboys Must Make This Offseason
Draft Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is a deep running back class and running back is a bit of a luxury position, but Jeanty is a rare explosive talent who has the potential to make the kind of instant impact Saquon Barkley made in Philadelphia, Josh Jacobs made in Green Bay, and Derrick Henry made in Baltimore, last season.
The Cowboys need playmakers on offense, and Jeanty is a yardage factory. Last season at Boise State, Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards with 29 touchdowns while averaging seven yards per reception and is one year removed from catching 43 passes for 569 yards in 2023, underscoring his ability to be a playmaker as a receiver out of the backfield, as well.
Jones and the Cowboys attempted to manufacture a running game around the ghost of Ezekiel Elliott’s past production, and it resulted in finishing 27th in the league.
Pro Football Focus gives Jeanty a best-in-class 216.5 elusive rating while pointing out that he averaged 5.25 yards after contact per carry last season, which could foreshadow is ability to make up for an offensive line in transition while leading the nation with 152 missed tackles in 2024. Positional value be damned, if Jeanty is on the board, there might not be a player capable of making a bigger impact on the Cowboys’ trajectory and he should be a no-brainer selection for the Joneses.
Sign WR DeAndre Hopkins
Teams such as the Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings have shown the value of a wide receiving corps boasting two dynamic weapons, and Hopkins might wind up being an ideal complement to CeeDee Lamb’s field-stretching ability in the vertical passing game.
Pro Football Focus points out that Tennessee Titans quarterbacks, and Patrick Mahomes, boasted a stellar 105.2 passer rating when targeting Hopkins who had an average depth of target of 11.7 yards while posting a 78.6 overall grade as the outlet’s No. 23 ranked receiver last season.
Pairing Hopkins opposite Lamb would give Prescott two potentially elite playmakers on the perimeter, while Hopkins's 6-foot-1 and 217-pound frame makes him an ideal red-zone target, where he’s caught five touchdowns the past two seasons.
Sign OG Brandon Scherff
Look for the Cowboys to invest significant draft capital along the offensive line, but Dallas needs reliable, NFL-ready starting caliber players along the interior, immediately.
Scherff would provide some much-needed stability as well as a strong veteran presence along the offensive line, while not likely to break the bank.
Last season, Scherff earned a strong 78 pass-protection grade from Pro Football Focus, with a top-tier 9.5 percent positive run-blocking percentage. Pairing Scherff with an early-round guard could be a big step toward fixing the Cowboys’ big problems along the offensive line.
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