The Dallas Cowboys have had a great offseason. Could the selection of Caleb Downs be doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to the optimism around the team? Very well could be. Tied in to the optimism around Downs and what he can be as a rookie is Christian Parker coming in as the defensive coordinator.
Despite having a historically bad defense just four months ago, the Cowboys have turned the page very quickly, with their sights set on a new season full of rising outside expectations. As
of right now, Dallas’ roster looks pretty set in place as the team starts rookie mini-camp.
However, there are still a few things the team could do to improve their situation between now and when they take off for Oxnard, California, in a few months. Here are four things the Cowboys can do to make their offseason even better.
1. Trade for another running back
Javonte Williams finally had the career year he’s been starving for since battling severe knee injuries. The Cowboys’ starting running back earned himself a well-deserved contract extension and comes back to the team as the clear-cut No. 1 back this offseason. But who is the backup Dallas should trust behind him?
Right now, the Cowboys’ depth chart behind Williams is Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah, Israel Abanikanda, Dominic Richardson, and Hunter Luepke. Davis is the only back on the list to have at least 400 yards rushing in his career. Unless Brian Schottenheimer has full confidence in rolling with young backups this year, Dallas should go after a running back who has experience.
Last season, the team brought in Miles Sanders, who was competing with Williams for the starting job. Schottenheimer wanted to have veteran voices in the room to pair with the young rookie backs at the time, Blue and Mafah. Sanders ended camp as the team’s No. 2 back and had some decent moments before exiting the first month of the season on injured reserve.
The free agent market is a barren wasteland right now at the running back position. Joe Mixon, Najee Harris, Austin Eckeler, and the ghost of Nick Cubb are the only names that Dallas could sign and say, “That makes sense.” Outside of those options, Dallas could move a late-round draft pick next year for a back with experience.
Sean Tucker in Tampa Bay could be an option as a player who continues to be the team’s third running back on the depth chart. Tucker had a breakout year in 2025 with 320 yards rushing and a shocking seven touchdowns. You think that type of production would earn him more touches, but Tampa Bay signed Kenneth Gainwell to a decent contract to pair with Bucky Irving. A move to Dallas would give him an opportunity for some meaningful carries before he hits free agency in 2027.
Roschon Johnson is someone the Cowboys had interest in when he was coming out of the draft. He was known as the backup to Bijan Robinson, but Johnson still averaged almost 500 yards a season while splitting carries. In Chicago, Johnson hasn’t been able to get his chances at a starting role and could be the odd man out with the rise of Kyle Monangai last year. If Dallas didn’t want to fight for him if he was released this offseason, a seventh-round pick should get it done.
2. Sign a veteran offensive tackle
As it stands, Terence Steele and Matt Hennessy are the two most experienced offensive linemen on the roster heading into mini-camp. The second most experienced tackle on the Cowboys is Tyler Smith, who’s a guard that’s happened to play tackle for the team when needed. The reason for signing a veteran offensive tackle would be a three-pronged plan.
- It gives Dallas leadership in a room that could use a little bit more at the position.
- A veteran can push Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele to be better and could be an adequate starter in case things aren’t going well to start the season.
- It prevents Tyler Smith from being the team’s backup tackle, keeping him at guard.
Dallas would have to decide which side of the line to target. Who is more of a liability right now to play 17 games? Is it Guyton or Steele? Could they find another offensive tackle like Hakeem Adeniji (who’s still available) that has position flex to play both positions?
If the Cowboys get through mini-camp unsure of where things stand at either tackle position, go all-in and sign Taylor Decker to a one-year deal with massive incentives put in the contract in case he starts most of the season. David Quessenberry is available and has experience as a right tackle, most recently serving as a backup with the Los Angeles Rams.
Either way, Dallas would be smart just to add a veteran voice to the team to get through the offseason in case their young tackles (Nate Thomas, Ajani Cornelius, and Drew Shelton) don’t develop the way they hope. If the youth movement at the position works out well, then that’s the best-case scenario, and the team releases the veteran tackle. No harm, no foul.
3. Find the players who are “tradeable”
There are a few Cowboys on the roster with question marks next to their names coming out of the draft, and whether they will finish the offseason in Dallas. Three names that fit into that category are Marist Liufau, Nate Thomas, and Sam Williams.
The coaching staff made the decision early on in the offseason to make Marist Liufau an outside linebacker with Christian Parker coming in. That might fit Liaufau’s skill set better than what we saw under Mike Zimmer in his rookie season, a player who has the sneaky ability to rush the passer and who reads and reacts better on the outside than on the inside. However, moving a player around this early in a career could indicate he might not have a home, and the team is just trying to find a spot for him. The Cowboys don’t give up on third-round picks too quickly, but if they find a trade partner who sees Liufau as a better fit in their defense, would Dallas pass up the opportunity to get more picks next year?
Nate Thomas got a ton of praise from the coaching staff last year, stepping up in the absence of Tyler Guyton during training camp. Due to more injuries during the season, Thomas had to come in and start a few times on both sides of the line. While there were obvious growing pains, the former seventh-round pick showed some good things a team could look at and say they could work with to make him an eventual starter. With Shelton coming in and Cornelius just in his second season, would a sixth-round pick entice Dallas enough to move on from their project player?
Then, of course, there is Sam Williams. If it were not for Williams tearing his ACL a few years ago, we could be having a different conversation, and maybe Dallas doesn’t go out and trade for someone like Rashan Gary. But between Gary’s arrival and the drafting of Malachi Lawrence, along with LT Overton, does that make Williams the odd man out? He re-signed with Dallas, but only on a one-year contract, which is very tradeable for a team that could be desperate for an experienced end with a somewhat high ceiling.
Trades always need a dance partner to be executed. Luckily for Dallas, they still have coaches across the league who could be interested in a few of their former players. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy might want to add another offensive tackle and pluck his former draft pick from Dallas, Thomas, to give him a chance at starting if Broderick Jones isn’t healthy and Max Iheanachor still needs time to develop.
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn worked out Williams personally during the draft process. Would he be interested in reuniting with a former player of his while Dorance Armstrong, another former Cowboy, recovers from his ACL injury? At the very least, Williams could have some special teams appeal with “Bones” Fassel down in Tennessee with the Titans.
The Cowboys don’t have many picks next year, and with no compensatory picks coming their way for 2027, trading away a few players that could be outside shots to make the 53-man roster might be beneficial for all parties.
4. Ryan Flournoy needs as much as he can handle on offense
Even with George Pickens signing his franchise tag, there is still no guarantee he is in the long-term plans for the Cowboys. Dallas could make it work by having two highly paid wide receivers and paying Dak Prescott top-of-the-market money, but is that the most practical use of their money? Look at Cincinnati with the Bengals. Sure, offense gets fans in the seats, but giving all the resources to one side of the ball could make the other look barren. The Bengals defense and lack of high-end talent are an anchor dragging down Joe Burrow’s chances at a Super Bowl.
Will Dallas want to play a similar game? Maybe not. That’s why Ryan Flournoy needs to get as much time as possible this offseason to develop and continue to grow. Last year, the former sixth-round pick came out of nowhere with CeeDee Lamb sidelined with his ankle injury. In the two games where Flournoy went over 100 yards, it looked like he had the stuff to be a No. 2 wide receiver in Dallas’ offense.
The Cowboys and Jalen Tolbert were never destined to work out, and the relationship ended when Tolbert left after his rookie contract expired. This coaching staff can’t make the same mistake with Flournoy. He should get as much runway with the first team offense as Pickens, especially looking ahead to 2027. If Flournoy can have a 600-yard season with seven touchdowns, Dallas has leverage in contract negotiations with Pickens to move on if needed and flexibility in the draft not to take a wide receiver in the first round.
