5 moves the Cowboys have to make to round out the 2025 offseason
The Dallas Cowboys started the offseason firing on all cylinders. They re-signed 10 players, added eight more outside free agents, and traded for two former first-round picks. For them, this was an entire offseason's worth of moves packed in the span of 11 days.
However, the activity has stopped, and the Cowboys haven't made a move in six days, leading many to question what's next. The roster isn't nearly complete, but there are still quality players available in free agency and the organization is at a standstill. Perhaps the Jones family delayed their annual vacation plans for the week after free agency instead of during it, like in years past.
The work isn't done. The Cowboys have positions that need to be upgraded and players who need to be extended before anyone can call this offseason a success. There's plenty of cap space remaining so there are no excuses for failing to continue their rebuild. Here's what's still on the Cowboys' offseason agenda.
Extend Micah Parsons
It's beyond time to get a deal done with the edge rusher who is the Cowboys' best player. Parsons said he wanted a deal to get done early and didn't need to break the bank in an extension if it allowed the team to get better, which is usually music to the organization's ears. Yet it's still not done. Meanwhile, other elite pass rushers have reset the market this offseason with their deals.
The most consistent pass rushers in the NFL as of late ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/JAQuUiVzoW
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) March 19, 2025
This doesn't need to be complicated. The rumors are that it's close, but no one ever knows with this front office. Extending Parsons will also likely help free up some more cap space to go after additional free agents.
Add a veteran WR
The Cowboys love to plug holes with cheaper options, but by passing on adding former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, it leaves the offense short. The team did sign Parris Campbell to bolster the position, but he's projected depth, not a compliment to WR CeeDee Lamb, who needs a quality running mate. Lamb's an All-Pro who will excel no matter who's on the field with him, he just can't do it alone.
Currently, Jalen Tolbert is the WR2 and that isn't good enough. Tolbert had his best season in 2024, but he's best suited at a third WR, leaving the Cowboys short a starting caliber WR. The draft could bring one, but there are solid options the team could sign now that make sense, and the Cowboys could still selection one with the 12th pick if needed.
The four veteran WRs who the team should consider are Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs, and Tyler Lockett. Of that foursome, Lockett or Allen seem like the best fit, but the cost always dictates what the Cowboys will do. Regardless, someone from this group should be signed by the Cowboys sooner rather than later to help quarterback Dak Prescott put the offense back on top.
Find a veteran CB
Another place where the Cowboys are extremely thin is at cornerback, where they currently have just two starting caliber players. DaRon Bland and Kaiir Elam are the starters, but there's very little quality options behind them. In an age of football where teams need at least three solid CBs, Dallas' defense falls short.
Trevon Diggs is rehabbing a knee injury that saw his miss the last month of the 2024 season and his timeline for a return isn't certain. The veteran CB will miss most, if not all, of training camp and likely some of the regular season, which makes it the third straight year he'll miss time.
Last year's fifth-round pick, Caelen Carson, had a rough rookie season that included missing 11 games due to injury. He'll need to vastly improve if he wants to be on the field more in his second year.
Those are expected to be the top four CBs for the Cowboys, which leaves much to be desired. With the loss of nickel back Jourdan Lewis, the team is also missing their top slot corner, to make things look even bleaker.
The Cowboys need to find a veteran CB who can come in and be an immediate starter, at least for the first half of the season. Bland is an All-Pro, but Elam has struggled since entering the league as a first-round pick. Beyond them, here isn't much depth.
An infusion of talent is needed at CB, and the Cowboys would be smart to add another veteran option.
Extend DaRon Bland and Tyler Smith
Parsons isn't the only player the Cowboys need to extend this offseason; they should be working on getting deals with Bland and left guard Tyler Smith as well.
Bland is in the last year of his deal and the team doesn't need to allow him to play out his contract, it runs the risk of him having a second All-Pro year and watching his price tag soar. The CB market was reset this offseason as well, and there are other top corners that still need told get extended, so the Cowboys should feel the urgency to get Bland's deal done. The Pick-Six King had a historic season in 2023, another year like that without an extension could prove too costly for the organization.
DARON BLAND WITH AN NFL RECORD 5TH PICK-SIX THIS SEASON 🚨
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 24, 2023
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/QLd244fC3X
Smith is another Cowboy who has an All-Pro season under his belt, and he continues to be one of the best interior offensive linemen in the league. The team will likely exercise the fifth-year option on Smith, but working out a long-term deal now would be ideal.
With the retirement of Zack Martin, and Tyron Smith no longer around, Tyler Smith is now the best offensive lineman in Dallas and the leader of the group at just 23-years old. The Cowboys need to extend and keep him around for years to come.
The time is now to extend both players, waiting only makes the price go up, a lesson the Cowboys' front office refuses to learn. The team has the cap space to get the deals done, and it would only benefit the Cowboys to extend Bland and Smith now.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Extending Micah, Smith among 5 things Cowboys must do this offseason
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