The Cowboys show how they really feel about backup player that might just end up with a larger role than expected – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
T.J. Bass will be back in Dallas in 2026, unless….
The Dallas Cowboys are making a surprising decision when it comes to one overlooked free agent that hasn’t been on many fans’ minds lately: interior offensive lineman T.J. Bass.
Bass, a backup guard for the Cowboys who has filled in nicely when asked to start, is a pending restricted free agent. And the latest report shows how the team really feels about him.
Cowboys to ‘tender’ Bass
The Cowboys are planning to use a second-round tender on Bass, according
to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The tender is projected by Over the Cap to be worth $5.81 million.
The tender serves as a one-year offer that allows Bass to negotiate with other teams, but if another team makes an offer, the Cowboys have the right to match it. If they decide not to, they are entitled to receive a second-round draft pick from the team signing Bass. In practice, it very rarely comes to that.
The surprise doesn’t come due to the Cowboys wanting Bass back—the young offensive lineman has 10 career starts to his name. Rather, the surprise is in the fact that they’re willing to pay over $5 million for a player who has been a backup in his first three years with the team.
But it reveals two things: The Cowboys really value Bass and they believe other NFL teams could see him as a starter if he was to hit the open market. A second-round tender ensures his stay in Dallas.
Additionally, the move serves as an insurance policy in case they shake up the offensive line and need a new starter at left guard.
Cowboys free agency rumors: Dallas expected to pursue Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean – RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys
The Cowboys have been linked to their first external free agent so far this offseason.
Nakobe Dean is a name Dallas will reportedly target
Clarence Hill reported early on Thursday morning (or late Wednesday night depending on how you view things) that the Cowboys are expected to pursue Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean in free agency.This makes a ton of sense. There is the Christian Parker factor, there is the fact that Dallas has a need at linebacker (we all want to believe in DeMarvion Overshown, but even if he stays healthy the team does not have many options beyond him). It really just feels like a matter of when they will pursue him, not if.
Philadelphia selected Dean out of Georgia during the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. His athleticism has been what people have valued about his game for a long time, but his injury history may lead to him actually being a bit of a bargain (relatively speaking) in free agency this year.
— Familiarity with the defensive coordinator
— Fills a position of need
— A potential bargainThat should music to the ears of Dallas Cowboys’ fans everywhere.
Marist Liufau being moved to edge rusher by Cowboys, Parker – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
Marist Liufau at edge? How do we feel?
INDIANAPOLIS — Marist Liufau is in for a major change heading into the 2026 NFL season, his third in the league for the Dallas Cowboys. Having fired out of the gate as a rookie third-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2024 as the eventual green dot for Mike Zimmer, a change of on-field scenery might be a good thing after a Year 2 slump.
To be fair though, that slump was largely rooted in a disconnect between Liufau and former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, the latter being hellbent on giving the majority of the linebacker reps to Jack Sanborn and Kenneth Murray, even while DeMarvion Overshown continued his recovery on injured reserve.
Liufau will be released from his cage by Christian Parker, however, with head coach Brian Schottenheimer confirming an earlier gem given to DallasCowboys.com from newly-named insider linebacker coach Scott Symons from the 2026 NFL Combine: Liufau is changing positions.
“Marist Liufau, we’re gonna move him to outside linebacker,” Schottenheimer declared, speaking from the 2026 NFL Combine. “That kind of fits his strengths, right? He’s got length, he’s got long arms and he’s really good at disrupting the ball.”
It’s bombshell news for a player who made his name as one of the nation’s best inside linebackers at Notre Dame, and it arrives after the Cowboys’ decision to waive fellow inside linebacker Logan Wilson (two moves that hint largely at the possible emergence of Justin Barron alongside Overshown Shemar James).
And while the length is evident, as Schottenheimer noted and film/measurables readily prove, Liufau is going to have to add some extra chunky peanut butter to his sandwiches and smoothies to bulk up; and to be ready for what outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe has planned for him.
3 Offseason moves the Dallas Cowboys must make to climb the ladder in the NFC East – Matt Lombardo, Substack
Will Mansoor Delane make it to 12?
Draft Mansoor Delane at No. 12 overall
One thing that Jones the general manager has done well in recent years, is hitting in the draft. However, stressing positional value here is going to be critical, in order for the Cowboys to quickly and dominantly rebuild the defense.
Avoiding a need at linebacker, Dallas would be wise to emerge from the first round with the best available edge rusher and cornerback on the board when they go on the clock, with the choice at No. 12 being decided by which player ranks higher on their overall board.
That cornerback could be Mansoor Delane.
Delane, 6-foot and 190 pounds is the kind of long cornerback Parker is used to thriving with in Philadelphia, with nearly ideal measurables to emerging star Quinyon Mitchell, and last season at LSU had a downright fantastic season.
During his final year in Baton Rouge, Delane only allowed 14 receptions and Pro Football Focus lists him as the No. 3 ranked cornerback in the nation, with a 90.7 coverage grade.
Delane would be a plug-and-play starter capable of making an immediate impact while serving as a cornerstone both of Parker’s system and the Cowboys’ broader defensive rebuild.
Schottenheimer on George Pickens’ long-term future as a Cowboy – Todd Archer, ESPN.com
Brian Schottenheimer speaks on George Pickens future in Dallas.
INDIANAPOLIS — The first offseason of Brian Schottenheimer’s time as Dallas Cowboys head coach in 2025 was spent dealing with the drama surrounding Micah Parsons and a contract extension.
As Schottenheimer enters his second offseason, the potential drama shifts to Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens, who is likely to receive the franchise tag by next Tuesday’s deadline and could skip the offseason program and potentially training camp.
“This is going to play out the way it’s supposed to play out,” Schottenheimer said Thursday from the NFL combine. “GP loves football. And my relationship with GP doesn’t change. Just like it didn’t change with CeeDee [Lamb] or Dak [Prescott] or those guys who were going through certain things. It’s all part of the process. It’s the business side of it. Hell, I was talking to CeeDee last night. It doesn’t change.”
Asked if Pickens will be with the Cowboys for the long term, Schottenheimer said, “I hope so.”
Pickens would make roughly $28 million in 2026 on the franchise tag. Once he is tagged, the Cowboys would have until July 15 to work out a multiyear agreement. Dallas has until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to put the tag on Pickens or he will hit the open market.
The Cowboys have been scheduled to meet with his representatives at the combine this week.
Schottenheimer said he has not spoken with Pickens since the season ended but plans to do so soon.
