Cowboys expect another "really, really tight" offseason
The Cowboys haven't made a splash in free agency since 2012 when they signed cornerback Brandon Carr, backup quarterback Kyle Orton, linebacker Dan Connor and offensive linemen Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau early in March.
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The Cowboys haven't made a splash in free agency since 2012 when they signed cornerback Brandon Carr, backup quarterback Kyle Orton, linebacker Dan Connor and offensive linemen Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau early in March. Fans were especially frustrated this spring with the lack of free agent movement with linebacker Eric Kendricks the only help the team found in March.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones played the role of Grinch on Wednesday, saying the team's approach isn't going to change in 2025.
“I think we knew we were going to have a challenge [in 2024] and [2025],” Jones said, via Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “It’s going to be really, really tight. We still have some money left over from some guys who are not here today, and we’re going to have some other guys that won’t be here in the future that you’re still going to have their cap count.”
The Cowboys have $9.28 million in dead cap for 2025, but the anticipated departures of right guard Zack Martin and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence will add to that number.
The Cowboys also will have to pay edge rusher Micah Parsons, perhaps making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league, after paying huge money to quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb in August.
The team has 24 players on their 53-player roster scheduled to become free agents in March, and many of them will walk for bigger deals elsewhere.
“Guys are getting opportunities and guys are going to continue to get opportunities,” Jones said. “I think [defensive lineman] Chauncey Golston has really stepped up. He’s a free agent. I hate that because he’s played his best football on the last year of his contract. I don’t hate that for him; I hate it for us. Guys have stepped up and played well.”
So, with the Cowboys unwilling (rather than unable) to use free agency, it's not going to be a quick fix. With the 2025 offseason expected to look a lot like 2024, the 2025 season could look a lot like the 2024 season, too.
