Latest contract intel makes the Rashan Gary trade a much better move by the Dallas Cowboys – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
Cowboys newly acquired edge agrees to brand new contract.
It’s possible the Cowboys were willing to part ways with a 2027 fourth-round pick for multiple reasons, such as making sure were the ones getting Gary and who knows, maybe another team threatened to make a deal for him, too.
But the most tangible reason to trade for Garyinstead of waiting for him to hit the market was control over the financials. Had Gary been free to sign anywhere, a bidding war would have likely drove up his price. Instead,
by acquiring his current contract (which no longer had guaranteed money), the Cowboys got leverage to rework his deal.
Thanks to insider Todd Archer from ESPN, we now know the details of Gary’s contract ahead of the 2026 season.
First and foremost, it’s a two-year deal worth $32 million. The new numbers mean Gary took a $6 million pay cut in exchange of $16 million guaranteed.
The most important part of his reworked deal, however, is the addition of a $13.2 million signing bonus and four void years to spread it out. This helps the Cowboys drop Gary’s previous $19.5 million cap hit all the way down to $5.4 million.
That’s $14.1 million in cap savings for 2026.
Here’s Why the Cowboys’ Pursuit of Maxx Crosby Went Quiet—And Why It Won’t Pick Back Up – David Moore, D Magazine
Some interesting notes about possible trades in this story.
The painful counterpoint is Dallas entered the week with precious little wealth on the defensive side of the ball other than at tackle. Investing the salary and draft capital required to add Crosby, good as he is, doesn’t make sense given how woefully lacking the Cowboys remain at cornerback and linebacker. They must balance the roster, which is part of the reason they traded Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas on Wednesday (more on that in a bit).
Dallas determined it must address pass rusher before any other position, but the plan never was to acquire two pass rushers before checking off the other positions. Once Gary was acquired, safety Jalen Thompson followed. The Cowboys hoped to get Quay Walker or Nakobe Dean at linebacker, but they swung and missed on both. The plan is for the money freed up by moving Odighizuwa and Thomas ($7.25 million) will be funneled to linebacker and/or corner. (The limited quality left on the market four days into free agency indicates another trade or two will be required.)
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One final thought: Cowboys officials decline to rule out pursuing Crosby down the road, but quickly add they probably won’t. That stance is based on the belief the path it now travels will work.
What Sean Payton Said About New Dallas Cowboys Safety PJ Locke – Zach Dimmitt, SI.com
PJ Locke’s former coach, Sean Payton, has high praise for the Cowboys new safety.
Arguably the most important of these signings was Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson, who officially put pen to paper with Dallas on a three-year, $36 million deal Thursday.
But while Thompson has received most of the attention, the Cowboys also added to the secondary by agreeing to terms on a one-year, $5 million deal with Denver Broncos safety P.J. Locke, who returns to his home state after playing college ball for the Texas Longhorns.
Locke spent six seasons in Denver, and though only three of those years came alongside Sean Payton, the Broncos’ head coach is still sad to see Locke go. Payton praised Locke’s ability, telling 105.3 The Fan that the veteran safety is “very versatile.”
“Our safeties play left and right, so he could play down in the box or play the deep third,” Payton told Bryan Broaddus of 105.3 The Fan. “He’s very versatile. He’s a great teammate. He covers well, he tackles well. Really going to miss him.”
Size matters in the middle of Christian Parker’s Cowboys defense – Jess Haynie, Blogging the Boys
The Cowboys trading of Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas is partially due to scheme fit.
Departures
Osa Odighizuwa – 280 lbs (traded to 49ers)
Solomon Thomas – 285 lbs (traded to Titans)
Perrion Winfrey – 290 lbs (released)Arrival
Otito Ogbonnia – 320 lbs (signed)Holdovers
Quinnen Williams – 303 lbs
Kenny Clark – 314 lbs
Jay Toia – 342 lbsNotice a trend? The Cowboys kept all of their beefiest DLs and added another Paunch Burger in Ogbonnia from the Chargers. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but let’s go a little deeper there.
Yes, Dallas got a third-round pick back for Odighizuwa. That’s not too shabby any year, and especially given that the Cowboys had no Day 2 picks before the deal. It’s even more profitable if they didn’t see Odighizuwa as a great fit anymore with the scheme Parker plans to run. The reported 3-4 move would hurt Odighizuwa: small for a 3-4 DE and not athletic enough to move to OLB. Even if Dallas found creative ways to involve him, is that the best use of what would’ve been nearly $20 million of the salary cap?
