The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in a familiar spot this season, which is "not in the playoffs." That now makes two consecutive seasons that the Cowboys have missed the postseason, and the 10th time in the last 16 seasons.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has stated that the team "won't be back here in this spot" next season, but that isn't really on Prescott to decide — he's done a very good job this season, and the Dallas front office has to make some moves this offseason to put the team in a better position. Here are four offseason moves that the Dallas Cowboys need to make if the team wants to actually live up to the hype and make the playoffs in 2026.
Draft EDGE David Bailey out of Texas Tech
The Cowboys have two first-round picks this year because of the Micah Parsons trade. They need to use one of those to find the next Micah Parsons.
It's going to be interesting to see how this shakes out, because right now, Dallas is slated to pick at No. 13 in the first round, which could put them in position to draft Texas Tech's David Bailey, but it's going to be close. Ideally, Dallas loses its last two games and is better positioned to not have Bailey — the second-best edge rusher in this class after Rueben Bain Jr. — sniped by another team.
If that does happen, there are still some options, but it might pay if Dallas is aggressive here and uses its resources to move up. The team needs a pass rusher with elite upside to make up for the fact that it gave up an elite pass rusher before this season. Of course, Dallas not having its own second and third round picks in this draft hurts the team's ability to make a move there, but there are still avenues.
Cut CB Trevon Diggs
The Trevon Diggs era in Dallas is nearing its end. The 2020 second-round pick led the NFL in interceptions in 2021, picking off 11 passes. However, his numbers have dipped since then — not just the interceptions, but everything else as well. He allowed a completion percentage of 52.4 percent in coverage in 2021, but that ballooned to 64.7 percent in 2022 and is at 76.2 percent this year. Diggs...might be washed, y'all.
He has a cap hit of about $18.4 million next season, which is a LOT for a guy who has declined like Diggs has. But if the Cowboys release him after June 1, the team saves $15.5 million on next year's cap, money that can be used in a number of ways that are all better spent than if that money was used to keep Diggs around.
Bring back WR George Pickens
Yes, Dallas will have to pay big money to retain George Pickens, but now that we've seen what this offense can do with two top receivers, you can't afford to go back to having just one.
Yes, the Cowboys need to fix the defense, but spending money to keep the offense good is important as well. Letting Pickens walk opens up cap space, but it also puts way more stress on Prescott next season, and Dallas would either need to add a wide receiver in free agency or in the draft, or trust Jalen Tolbert to step up.
Find defensive back value in free agency and the draft
Finally, the Cowboys need to add defensive backfield talent however they can.
Could this be a good landing spot for a veteran like Jabrill Peppers, who is still capable of playing at multiple spots in the defensive backfield? What about a slot corner like Mike Hilton?
Then there's the draft. Assuming Dallas doesn't trade away its second first-round pick, the team could potentially luck into Clemson corner Avieon Terrell, but it's more likely that the team can use that pick to move down, collecting some additional assets to offset not having second or thirds at the moment. In that scenario, players like San Diego State corner Chris Johnson and Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman could be interesting options to add defensive talent.