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Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have Sean Martin, David Howman, and Jess Haynie.
Which player on the Cowboys roster that’s about to become a free agent should be priority to re-sign?
Mike: If we’re picking one pending free agent to keep at the top of the list, it’s Jadeveon Clowney. In a year when the defense has been searching for anyone who can consistently pressure the passer and create negative plays, Clowney has been one of the few reliable sources. With Micah Parsons gone and the front still needing identity, letting the most dependable veteran rusher walk just creates another hole that Jerry will have to spend the spring trying to patch with cheaper, riskier bets.
Jess: The easy answer is George Pickens, and that’s why it’s the right answer. He wasn’t the Robin to CeeDee Lamb’s Batman this year. He was Superman, and their combined powers are why this offense flourished. With Lamb having missed a few games in each of the last two years, Pickens ensures that you still have a true WR1 out there while also giving defenses fits when both starters are healthy. And with our own defense probably needing more than just one offseason to get fixed, preserving your advantage on offense is critical.
Howman: Pickens is the obvious answer, and Jess already covered it well, so I’ll go another direction: Javonte Williams. He’s not as crucial as Pickens, but Williams is a very good fit for this offense and the run game. He also won’t be as expensive as Pickens due to the overall running back market, so it’s easier to manage retaining him in addition to Pickens, whether that’s the franchise tag or a long-term deal.
Sean: I very strongly agree that both George Pickens, Jadeveon Clowney and Javonte Williams are high-priorities, but we don’t want to weaken the offense during an offseason that really needs to be all about the defense, so let’s focus on Clowney.
The Cowboys don’t want to just get to the playoffs in 2026, they want to be able to make some noise once there. Clowney is the type of clutch, veteran presence that teams need to do just that in January. The use of five-man defensive fronts isn’t going anywhere for the Cowboys as a way to continue utilizing their defensive tackle depth. Having defensive ends that can take advantage of a strong interior rush is still incredibly important though, and Clowney and Donovan Ezeiruaku were those players last season. With Ezeiruaku already under contract, retaining Clowney with a new deal feels like a winning move.
On the free agent market, which player do you hope the Cowboys pick up and sign this offseason?
Mike: Trey Hendrickson. If Dallas is going to spend in free agency, it should be on a pass rusher who wins without blitz help, and Hendrickson is the cleanest ‘wreck the game plan’ edge in the 2026 class. PFF even calls him the jewel of the group. Pairing that kind of heat with what Dallas already has up front would shrink the time quarterbacks have to live in the middle of the field, which has been the defense’s biggest recurring problem.
Jess: Give me one of LB Nakobe Dean or S Reed Blankenship, as either Eagle would help new defensive coordinator Christian Parker install his scheme. They would also provide much-needed upgrades at their positions, with Dean being a true middle linebacker and Blankenship a more versatile and more talented safety than Donovan Wilson. Also offering championship experience, either would help beyond just their individual position.
Howman: Any Eagles free agent makes obvious sense, but the name I’ll be circling is Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton. He’s been a tackle machine in Denver and, before that, Philadelphia. A team captain with the Broncos, Singleton would bring leadership and valuable experience into the locker room.
Sean: Yet again, fantastic answers by both David and Jess. Sign me up for welcoming any of those defensive standouts to Dallas in year one of Christian Parker’s tenure. The name I’ll throw in the ring is also for the defense, safety Kevin Byard. Both Chicago Bears safeties Jaquan Brisker and Byard are free agents this offseason. Dennis Allen’s Bears defense led the league in takeaways, and Byard had seven interceptions. The Cowboys have already done a lot of things to step out of their comfort zone to address this historically bad defense, and spending on a safety in free agency would be even more of that, but the personnel on the backend must improve at more than just cornerback for this defense to truly get better results.
What are the top three positions Dallas needs to fill before the draft in order to give them the most freedom on draft day?
Mike: Dallas needs to buy itself flexibility at three spots. Let’s start with offensive line, especially tackle depth, because the team can’t go into April one injury away from collapsing the entire playbook, right tackle is a sneaky need. Top of the list is edge rusher. The defense needs a reliable, every-down pressure source that wins without blitzing.
Let’s fill cornerback in free agency because there’s a need for another outside-capable cover player so this defense isn’t forced into soft zone and constant safety help. Plugging those three positions in free agency is probably the easiest way to go best player available in the first round instead of a panic list when targets come off the board. Sure, linebacker is a huge need, but let’s draft one and a take a young, reliable linebacker with low wear rather than searching the market for one that’s already got the knocks and bruises.
Jess: Well, that depends on whether or not Pickens and Javonte Williams get re-signed. Assuming those do happen, then I’m focusing on getting an EDGE rusher and a MLB who I trust to start. But if you don’t bring back one of those offensive guys, either WR or RB immediately join the list. None of these positions can be left to chance. While we do have two first-round picks, not having any Day 2 makes it very treacherous to rely on this draft to fill holes.
Howman: I fully believe both Pickens and Williams will get some sort of deal done before the draft. That would leave, in my opinion, lots of work to do on defense. You need a starting corner, two starting safeties (sorry, Malik Hooker), someone who can play the all-important nickel role, a starting linebacker, and an edge rusher. If they can get all of those, they’ll be able to take a true BPA approach to the draft.
Sean: In no specific order, defensive end, cornerback, and linebacker. Even if Clowney is re-signed like I advocated for, the Cowboys need more speed off the edge to win against quick passing games. This was the number one area they missed Micah Parsons in 2025. The cornerback need is the most obvious by a country mile, but linebacker feels a bit more lowkey. I think instead of accepting that the Kenneth Murray/Jack Sanborn experiment didn’t work out, many fans have just erased it from happening in their minds completely, with Murray getting snaps as one of the faces of this porous defense all the way through Week 17. The good news is that both are free agents the Cowboys can easily move on from, the less-great news is obviously that Dallas will need new bodies here. How much they can trust Logan Wilson as a coverage player in a new scheme will be an important question to answer, but linebackers that can match up against tight ends or running backs in the pass game is a need no matter what.
