Dallas Cowboys Brandon Aubrey weighs future as free agency looms – Jonah Javad, WFAA
The Cowboys still need to work out a Brandon Aubrey deal.
“I don’t really have much going on at the moment. Just sitting around waiting,” Aubrey said, during an appearance at the TOCA Social opening at Grandscape in The Colony.
“Obviously, the [second round] tender is what the Cowboys have talked about. It’s a good amount of money. It’s a big pay raise for me from before, but it’s not ideal for any player, so we’ll see what happens.”
With a second-round tender, the Cowboys would pay Aubrey approx $5.8
million in 2026 if no other team offers a better deal. If a team is willing to pay him more, the Cowboys have the right to match the offer. If the Cowboys refuse to match, the team signing Aubrey would need to give up a 2nd round draft pick to the Cowboys as compensation.
TLDR: The Cowboys have the leverage in this negotiation.
Dallas either keeps their All-Pro kicker at a price they’re comfortable with, or they let him go for a second-round pick, which can help fill other teams’ needs.
“When you hit restricted free agency, if you’re not testing the market, then you’re not doing what’s right for you and your family,” he said. “So you have to do that if that’s what it comes to.”
NFL free agency: Raiders trade Maxx Crosby to Ravens, not Cowboys – RJ Ochoa, Blogging The Boys
Maxx Crosby is not a Cowboy, but a Raven.
It was reported by multiple outlets that the Las Vegas Raiders are sending Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for first-round picks in this and next year’s draft.
Obviously we do not care much about Crosby joining the Ravens, although Dallas does play Baltimore this year. We are discussing this here because the Cowboys had been among the teams linked to Crosby dating back to last year’s trade deadline.
Even in the aftermath of the trade breaking there reports from national insiders about how the Cowboys were involved.
ESPN noted that the Cowboys were willing to offer a first- and second-round pick to Las Vegas for Crosby. It is worth pointing out that Dallas has a bit of a caveat going with first-round pick in 2027, they technically hold two right now, but the better of them belongs to the New York Jets in the aftermath of the Quinnen Williams trade which Dallas did execute at the deadline.
Cowboys free agent targets: Big money, mid-tier and budget-friendly options to fix defense – Joseph Hoyt, Dallas Morning News
Exploring defensive players the Cowboys can add in free agency.
EDGE/OLB
Big money: Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (Market Value: $25.4 million annually
Want to prove you’re willing to bust the budget? Find a way to land one of the big fish in free agency. Hendrickson being on the market has been long anticipated. Now that the moment is here, Hendrickson will certainly be looking to capitalize on it. The Cowboys should be interested, too, especially if they can’t work out a trade for Maxx Crosby. Hendrickson had 35 combined sacks in 2023-24 and would instantly, even at 31, raise the entire floor of the Cowboys defense.
Middle man: Patriots edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson ($8.9 million)
The Cowboys were once interested in drafting Chaisson in the first round, but then CeeDee Lamb fell into their lap. Could the Cowboys go after Chaisson now? Chaisson had a breakout season with the New England Patriots, finishing with 7.5 sacks. He also had 74 pressures, per Pro Football Focus. He won’t break the bank, but he won’t come cheap, either.
Budget-friendly: Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy ($3.5 million)
One thing to remember when it comes to edge rushers and outside linebackers: it’s one of the most important positions on the field, so finding budget-friendly options doesn’t come without risk. Van Noy is in this category because he will be 35 when the next NFL season kicks off. He’s also someone who should bring some veteran experience wherever he goes. The Cowboys are looking for great players and great communicators on defense. Van Noy could help with the latter while also potentially mentoring the young linebackers the Cowboys already have on their roster.
Spagnola: No matter what, tag sweet for Pickens – Mickey Spagnola, DallasCowboys.com
George Pickens is in a win-win situation with the franchise tag.
FRISCO, Texas – The first 14 minutes of the annual Jerry Jones Cowboys bus interview at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis was spent answering questions about George Pickens.
About the Cowboys placing the 2026 franchise tag on him to retain the rights of their 2025 team-leading receiver.
About making the possibility of turning this franchise tag placeholder into a long-term deal.
About the comparison of Pickens potentially playing under the tag with Micah Parsons refusing to play for the fifth-year option, the Cowboys picked up for $24 million in 2025.
Along with Jerry repeatedly speaking of how much GP means to the Cowboys, along with how much the team mean to Pickens, knowing the likelihood of the Pro Bowl receiver returning for the 2026 season.
And right at the 13-minute mark, Jerry threw his gaggle of reporters peppering him with questions for a loop when he said, “I want our George Pickens relationship to be all honey.”
“Honey,” meaning sweet.
“I can’t tell you how positive I feel about him, and I want our fans to look at it and say, ‘That’s a lot of money they’re putting out there,'” Jerry emphasized.
Yep, that’s ol’ Jer, staying three steps ahead of the posse.
Here are the financials kicking in on March 11 when the 2026 NFL league year, the salary cap and free agency begin. Pickens, producing a 2025 career year with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine receiving touchdowns for the Cowboys, will be in the final year of his initial four-year contract signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a 2022 second-round draft choice:
That franchise tag is a one-year, guaranteed $27.3 million contract, if choosing to bet on himself while likely trying to negotiate a long-term deal by the July 15 deadline. That’s $27 million now.
Do you realize over these past four seasons playing on his rookie deal, the first three spent with the Steelers who gave up on the mercurial receiver and a 2025 fifth-round draft choice to boot for a mere draft choice package consisting of a 2026 third-round selection and a 2027 fifth-rounder, Pickens made a grand total of $6.7 million.
If my math is right, that’s like a 300 percent raise for basically one year of production for the Cowboys. Not a bad bag of dough.
