For all the optimism around the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason, the basic shape of it still looks a lot like the one Jerry and Stephen Jones have been running for years.
Yes, the mood is lighter. Yes, there hasn’t been the usual cloud of a major holdout hanging over everything.
And yes, the roster has picked up enough new pieces to make plenty of fans feel better about what’s ahead. But the idea that the front office has suddenly transformed into a different operation is probably overstating it.
Take the contract situation. Wide receiver George Pickens still hasn’t landed a long-term extension and is instead playing on the franchise tag.
There’s no public blowup, but that’s more about Pickens not making a scene than any masterful front-office maneuvering. The Cowboys have been clear about their plan, and this is still very much their usual slow-play approach.
The Brandon Aubrey situation followed a familiar Cowboys script, too. There was some noise after incorrect claims started floating around the media, but that eventually faded and he got a new deal. Everybody ends up happy in the end, but it happens the way these things so often do in Dallas: late, tense, and right up against the wire.
The same pattern shows up in free agency. The Cowboys did make a notable splash by signing safety Jalen Thompson to a three-year, $33 million contract, which is the most they have paid an outside free agent in more than a decade.
That sounds like a shift. It feels like a shift.
But the broader numbers tell a different story.
Dallas has still spent only $59 million in free agency this offseason, which puts the team in the bottom 10 in league spending. Of that total, just $33 million is guaranteed, the fifth-lowest figure in the league this offseason. So while the Cowboys did finally go bigger on one player, they’re still operating the same way when it comes to outside free agents: carefully, sparingly, and with a tight grip on cap resources.
There’s also a fresh coaching staff in the building, and that’s enough to stir some hope after a bad defense. Defensive coordinator Christian Parker is getting plenty of attention as a young, promising mind with upside.
But the Cowboys were in a similar place not long ago. At this same point last year, they had a new defensive coordinator who was supposed to fix a very bad defense, and that didn’t work out.
Parker is different in one obvious way: he’s unproven. He’s also not the kind of experienced hire the Joneses usually prefer.
That makes the move interesting, even exciting. But it’s not exactly unprecedented for this team.
The Cowboys made a similar bet last year when they brought in offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. So the enthusiasm is understandable, but the risk is there, too.
Brian Schottenheimer’s first season as head coach adds another layer to the discussion. Last year brought a full reset, with both coordinators new and Schottenheimer stepping in for the first time.
There was plenty of skepticism then, and the Cowboys’ own handling of Mike McCarthy didn’t exactly project confidence. Now, there’s more talk about influence and culture, but the on-field results still matter most.
Dallas finished with a losing record for the second straight year, the first time that has happened in over 20 years, dating back to Dave Campo. It was also the first time in franchise history that the Cowboys finished with a losing record when their quarterback started every game in the season.
Across 66 seasons, that had never happened before. That doesn’t mean Schottenheimer is doomed, but it does leave his coaching ability very much in the TBD category.
Even the parts of the roster that inspire confidence are built around youth and uncertainty. A lot of the optimism is tied to young defensive players, including some coming back from injury.
That’s not a new storyline either. It was part of the conversation last year, and the results were not good.
So if this offseason feels different, the question is simple: what, exactly, has changed?
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