The Dallas Cowboys once again enter an era of uncertainty as expectations remain high. The Cowboys claimed to be “all-in” last year, only to re-sign CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott while being one of the quietest teams in free agency.
Well buckle up Cowboys fans, because there's a new motto in town. This year’s theme is apparently “selectively aggressive”, which we all know is just Jerry Jones speak for "being cheap". Or if you want to read more into it, "aggressively re-sign our top players and spend low on the rest".
Which, essentially, is what the team did last year. So yeah, curb your enthusiasm, Cowboys fans. Both Stephen and Jerry Jones didn’t provide any clarity on whether they will make the moves necessary to bring the Cowboys back to the top of the NFC East again. Nonetheless, if Jones were to deviate from his usual free agency tactics, this is a great free agency to be “selectively aggressive”. With a bump in the cap space and the possibility to restructure some contracts, the Cowboys have some wiggle room.
If they decide to make some big splashes in free agency ahead of the draft, here’s how they can maximize the cap space while not overspending unnecessarily.
3 free agents the Cowboys must target with ‘selectively aggressive’ approach
3) EDGE Chase Young
This is the most reasonable move. Seeing as the Cowboys need a lot of help with their pass rush opposite Micah PArsons, getting Chase Young on a cheap deal could pay off. While he hasn’t quite been the elite player he was expected to be coming out of Ohio State, he could revive his career in Dallas.
With DeMarcus Lawrence’s future up in the air and DeMarvion Overshown out for much of if not all of 2025, the Cowboys need to prioritize edge depth to pair with Parsons. They have some other options via free agency or trade, but the question once again is will they actually opt to spend that much?
Young is the perfect option for Jones. He comes cheap and has enough upside to talk yourself into a breakout season, in which case he could ink a long-term deal and stick around as Lawrence’s replacement.
2) WR DeAndre Hopkins
It’s no surprise the Cowboys need some help in the wide receiver room. Jalen Tolbert made some strides, but he’s not quite the No. 2 option the Cowboys need. Brandin Cooks, for as good as he was, is past his prime and could be moving on.
The Cowboys could turn to Hopkins as a short-term solution if they truly believe they can contend this year. One thing's for sure: They won’t ever be contenders without another proven receiver to go with Lamb. This offense has to have two solid options at receiver to succeed, and Hopkins is a great addition because he proved in Kansas City that he can still be productive in certain circumstances. If he chooses to hit the market rather than return to the Chiefs, Dallas has to be interested. This is a pass-friendly offense, after all.
With Prescott back fully healthy, Lamb and Hopkins could be the duo the Cowboys need to bring this offense back to life. While they’ll need to address the running back position as well, this draft is deep enough to handle that. Dallas loves finding young players in the draft to turn into franchise pieces.
Because this team defaults to the draft over spending in free agency, they could also find a receiver in in April, but that would be way too much of a gamble for a team that’s supposed to be contending right now.
1) LB Zack Baun
The Cowboys need to address quite a few areas on defense, but it feels like linebacker has to be atop that list; if Dallas is going to have a depleted defensive line, having decent linebackers can help mask some of those issues. This team had one of the worst run defenses in the NFL this past season and have struggled there over the last couple of years.
Baun is coming off a Super Bowl run with the Philadelphia Eagles and could stay in the NFC East to repair the Cowboys linebacker room. They have options here, but it feels like Baun is the best option: He’s young enough that he could still play for a few more years, whereas someone like Bobby Wagner may only have a year left in their NFL career.
Baun showed his ability to impact the pass game in Philly as well, snagging an interception in the Super Bowl. He’s the perfect option to help every phaes of the Dallas defense.