From a contract perspective, the Dallas Cowboys need to count their pennies carefully at the moment since, per Spotrac, they are 28th in salary cap space with just under $8M available. Still, that shouldn’t mean the Cowboys aren’t looking to extend players in the final years of their contracts. Almost every summer, usually during training camp, the Cowboys open the checkbook to award players some fresh cash in the form of extensions.
When looking at the team, who are some players the Cowboys could
sign to extensions soon? Here are a few candidates.
Brevyn Spann-Ford
Since joining the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2024, Brevyn Spann-Ford has carved out a role for himself with the Cowboys. Over his first two years, Spann-Ford has been mostly a reserve utilized as a special teams player and the blocking tight end.
As a blocker, he excels. The reason why Spann-Ford could be in line for an extension, and likely a modest one at that, is because there’s some untapped potential as a pass catcher. He isn’t as fluid as other counterparts on the roster, but his large catch radius makes him a big target in the red zone and over the middle of the field where Dak Prescott loves to utilize tight ends.
We must also consider that Luke Schoonmaker is in the final year of his contract and hasn’t done much to blow the team away after being drafted in the second round. Last season, Spann-Ford played on 24% of the offensive snaps versus 33% for Schoonmaker. If Dallas wants to pair their Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson with someone who is a good blocker with some receiving potential, it would align with Dallas giving Spann-Ford a new deal.
DeMarvion Overshown
The future of the Cowboys defense centers around a complete makeover of the personnel. The edge talent has been overhauled, and the linebacker room has more depth. DeMarvion Overshown is in the middle of it all with a unique skill set that allows him to be impactful in multiple ways. He can play horizontally and can rush the passer. Still, if he were to sign an extension in the next few months, it would mean the Cowboys have a lot of faith in his future
Overshown, while talented, hasn’t stayed healthy enough in his career to warrant a market-setting contract. Dallas, believing in his potential, could get ahead of the curve and pay Overshown before the season kicks off.
Per Overthecap.com, Fred Warner is at the top of the market with a salary of $21M. Somewhere near the middle of the pack is Nakobe Dean, who passed on the Cowboys to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders, at $12M per season. The Cowboys could decide to get ahead of the curve and tie Overshown down to a mid-size contract that would end up being team-friendly if he stays healthy and reaches his true potential.
Dee Winters
The second linebacker on this list is Dee Winters. The Cowboys made a trade for Winters during the draft and were able to pry a productive player from one of their longtime rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. Winters had a career year last season with 101 tackles, eight for a loss, and one interception returned for a touchdown.
Winters has very good spatial awareness in zone coverage. He also has prior experience with relaying the signals. If Winters is willing to take on a short-term extension, albeit for just one more season, along with Overshown, it gives the Cowboys a dynamic interior along with a developing Jaishawn Barham.
