We break down Dallas’ NFL draft prep, free agency moves and more before Jerry Jones and Brian Schottenheimer speak to reporters in Phoenix.
We break down Dallas’ NFL draft prep, free agency moves and more before Jerry Jones and Brian Schottenheimer speak to reporters in Phoenix.Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hands the phone back to his son Jerry Jr.
as he and head coach Brian Schottenheimer visit in the team’s war room during the opening of the NFL Draft at The Star in Frisco, April 24, 2025. Schottenheimer is scheduled to speak with the media Monday morning. Jones, at some point during the two-and-a-half days of sessions, will chat with reporters, too.It’s part of the process of building a roster for the 2026 season. With the owner’s meetings around the corner, we look at the state of the franchise:including two first-round selections and three picks in the fifth round. One of the best things the Cowboys did this offseason was toThere was a thought the Cowboys might have to package one of their first-round picks to get a Day 2 pick , but trading Osa Odighizuwa for the third-rounder solves that issue.So now the Cowboys have three draft picks among the Top 100 players in the draft. Based on what Jerry Jones said at the NFL scouting combine, this is no time for redshirts or gambling on players coming off injury. The Cowboys are looking for players to make an immediate impact. Schottenheimer has attended several pro days — Miami, Texas and Texas Tech among them — and the coaches have conducted group dinners with prospects at some schools. Romello Height, an edge rusher from Texas Tech, Sonny Styles, a linebacker from Ohio State, and Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper have scheduled visits or already made the trip to The Star as part of the 30 visits from draftable prospects. It seems as if the Cowboys are taking an aggressive approach to visiting with players in groups more so than in the past.The needs of this team centered on the defense. The Cowboys sought an inside linebacker, slot corner, defensive end and a safety. The CowboysThompson signed a three-year contract worth $33 million with $22 million guaranteed. The other safety, P.J. Locke, corners Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick, and Thompson showed they can play multiple positions. It’s somethingOne position where the Cowboys failed to address in free agency, at least for now, is inside linebacker. The team had interest in Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and Patrick Queen. Dean and Walker signed with the Raiders as free agents, each getting three-year deals with a combined $48 million in guaranteed money. The Cowboys elected not to trade for Queen, who enters the final year of his contract that will pay a base salary of $10.8 million. Queen already had his $2.5 million roster bonus picked up by the Steelers. The Cowboys also wanted to build some depth along the offensive line after guard/center Brock Hoffman signed with Pittsburgh. The teamIn a weak free agent market, the Cowboys filled most of their needs with less than a month to go before the draft. The team could make another trade for a player to fill the remaining needs, like they did with Gary.and hasn’t opened any meaningful discussions about a long-term contract. The going rate for a wide receiver has risen.Smith-Njigba and Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase are the only two receivers averaging over $40 million per season. CeeDee Lamb has the fourth-highest average salary at $34 million. After the Cowboys traded for Pickens last year, his representatives felt that if he produced a solid season, asking for at least $30 million per season would be reasonable. Well, here we are. There are six receivers with a total valued contract over $130 million and four that make $100 million in guaranteed money. Lamb is on both lists. Will Pickens join him? Pickens hasn’t signed the franchise tag, and the team could reach an agreement for a one-year deal that would boost his salary beyond the tag. The other uncertainty isThe Cowboys had significant contract talks with Aubrey before the start of the 2025 season but things stalled. Aubrey’s reps asked for $10 million per season,The contract offer by the Cowboys would make Aubrey the highest-paid kicker in the NFL. But Aubrey’s reps stopped talks before the start of the 2025 season. This offseason, the CowboysWhen the Cowboys placed the tender on Aubrey, he ranked second in average salary among kickers. But Houston signed Ka’imi Fairbairn to a two-year extension worth $11.66 million with an average salary of $6.4 million, tops in the league among kickers. If Aubrey doesn’t sign a new contract, he’ll be the third-highest-paid kicker in the NFL.Why former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is opening a restaurant in DallasCalvin Watkins This is my 15th year covering the Dallas Cowboys. I've covered four head coaches and started covering the beat in Bill Parcells' last season when Tony Romo took over in 2006. And now I'm in the midst of the Dak Prescott/Micah Parsons era.
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