Why Troy Aikman says fans should hope Cowboys offense is not as prolific in 2026 – SportsDay Staff, Dallas Morning News
Did the Cowboys do enough on defense during the offseason to help their offense?
Pro Football Hall of Famer and ESPN Monday Night football commentator Troy Aikman made a guest spot on ESPN’s “Get Up” this week to talk about all things NFL ….. and, of course, the Dallas Cowboys. Here are some highlights from his Tuesday appearance:
With the acquisitions Dallas has made this offseason, will the defense improve to a level where the Cowboys can compete better in the 2026 season?
Aikman: “I think so. I mean,
that is the big question. They can only get better. And it’s early, I understand that, but I do like the hire of Christian Parker. I think sometimes you bring in a young assistant who now is getting his opportunity after having coached under some really good people over the course of his career, he comes in with a good resume, all indications are that the players are excited about it. I think what they’ve done, starting with the draft, to address some of those needs on the defense has been positive.
“What I think gets lost a little bit, the offense was so prolific last year, and then you’ve got a healthy Dak Prescott, and unfortunately for them, we saw it with Joe Burrow on the Bengals a couple of years ago. When you have that kind of play at the quarterback position, typically, that means good things when the season comes to an end. And yet, for Dallas, they failed even make the postseason. Can that offense continue to play at the level that they did last year? And that’s a big if. It was one of Dak Prescott’s best years. It was George Pickens’ career year. It was Javonte Williams’ career year. There was a lot that happened on the offensive side of the ball. The numbers may not look as good. In fact, I think if you’re a Cowboys fan, you hope the offensive numbers don’t look as good, because that would then mean that the defense is better and playing a much bigger role in the success of that
team.”
Three things to look for when the Dallas Cowboys’ schedule is released – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
There’s some key questions that will be answered on Thursday.
While the Cowboys already know their opponents and venues, the exact order of the team’s schedule will be made public Thursday. There are three very notable things to look for when that 18-week schedule comes out:
What happens after Brazil?
I’m heading into the schedule release with the thought that the Cowboys will get a home game in Arlington in Week 2 before heading off to Brazil in Week 3.
But what happens after that?
A bye week directly after Brazil is not possible, as the league doesn’t implement byes until Week 5. As a result, the Cowboys will make the nearly 11-hour flight back to Dallas and gear up for another game the following week.
Since the Brazil contest technically counts as a “home game,” will the league schedule three consecutive “home games” for Dallas? If so, that sets up a significant road swing at some point in the season.
If the league sees an easier scenario to send the Cowboys back out on the road, it can’t be for a significantly long trip. Maybe this is where it makes sense to put the trip to Houston to take on the Texans for, say, a Monday night game.
Teams that have played in Brazil in the past have complained about the travel requirements early in the season. And considering the only two prior Brazil games have been played on Fridays, the Cowboys and Ravens will take on an even tougher challenge early in the year.
How tough that challenge is will be the first thing to look at when the schedule drops.
Tape Talk: Devin Moore’s best football may still lie ahead – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
Devin Moore has a shot to be a Day 3 steal.
FRISCO, Texas – When it comes to some of the traits that the Cowboys have liked at the cornerback position in years past, size is one that Dallas seems to covet at the position.
Their fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft out of Florida Devin Moore has it. Moore measured in at 6’3 ¼” at the combine, and he becomes the tallest cornerback on the Cowboys’ roster.
Throughout his career at Florida, Moore dealt with a multitude of injuries that prevented him from seeing consistent playing time. However, in his final season in 2025, Moore was finally able to put together a healthy season and show flashes of what he could be at the next level, and his best football very well could be ahead of him.
Let’s take a look at some of those flashes from Moore’s tape:
Moore staying the receiver’s hip pocket
It’s no secret that cornerback is one of the hardest positions to play in football. There has to be a balance between playing physical against who you’re covering, trying to break up/intercept passes and do so without getting a penalty flag thrown.
That makes positioning important for corners. In order to be able to break up a play, they need to be in the best position possible to make a clean attempt on the ball. In this scenario, that’s what Moore does, finding his way to the wide receiver’s hip pocket.
At the start of the play, the receiver hits a move at the top of his route to attempt to make Moore bite on a different route. He doesn’t fall for it, stays patient, and runs with the receiver as he makes his break towards the middle of the field. From there on out, he’s right in the hip pocket and gets his arm in between the receivers’ hands to break up the pass. It looks like the throw may have been a bit behind the receiver too, but Moore is still in a position to make a play on the ball if the QB hit the receiver in the chest.
The George Pickens Paradox: Why him missing Dallas Cowboys workouts matters despite them being voluntary – Mauricio Rodriguez, AtoZ Sports
The George Pickens saga never ends.
Let’s kick things off with a disclaimer. We’re not going full Dallas Cowboys drama here. We’re not going to make it seem like George Pickens will be traded. This isn’t that.
I understand why many fans, content creators, and media members roll their eyes at any and all Pickens content considering the Cowboys have made it clear they’re not dealing him away and that the wide receiver has signed his franchise tag.
But at the very least, we should be allowed to point out that the whole thing is kind of weird. And the latest report makes it more so.
George Pickens misses first Cowboys workout
On Tuesday, Pickens missed the first Cowboys workout since signing the franchise tag, according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris.
Pickens’ decision is notable even though mandatory workouts don’t begin until June 16, when a three-day mandatory minicamp is set to kick off. Why? Because his motivation to sign the tag remains confusing.
When reports emerged on draft day indicating Pickens would be signing the tag, many wondered if a trade was a possibility. It made sense. As long as the tag remained unsigned, he wasn’t eligible for a trade and he wasn’t subject to fines for missing mandatory minicamp nor training camp.
