Jason Burgos
Heading into the weekend, the Dallas Cowboys were in salary cap hell after slapping their franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens. However, on Saturday, they will reportedly soon open up well over $60 million in space with a bunch of contract restructures.
“The Cowboys will restructure the contracts of QB Dak Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb, and G Tyler Smith, which will create $66 million of room,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. “Jerry Jones said the Cowboys will rework the contracts of DTs Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, and Osa Odighizuwa, who are scheduled to count around $63 million against the cap.”
The news comes a day after Jones told reporters at the NFL Combine, “We will spend more money in free agency than we have.”
Last season, the Cowboys had one of the best offenses in the NFL, but also one of the league’s worst defenses. Improving the defensive side of the ball will be the goal with the new money. With that in mind, let’s look at six stars Dallas could soon target in the free agent and trade market.
Minkah Fitzpatrick
The Miami Dolphins are reportedly shopping five-time Pro Bowler Minak Fitzpatrick, and Dallas has already been linked to a trade in a recent ESPN report. But that was when they had no space to add him and his contract. Well, the winds have changed, and the Cowboys now have the space to acquire the 29-year-old.
Assuming they use their first pick in the draft on a cornerback as many project, the versatile and talented veteran would be a great addition to the secondary.
Trey Hendrickson
To the surprise of no one, trading Micah Parsons before the season led to the Cowboys finishing near the bottom of the NFL in sacks last season. While the interior of the line is good, they still badly need a true pass-rushing threat even after adding Quinnen Williams.
That is why Cincinnati Bengals star Trey Hendrickson could now be a target with the extra money. He is one of the league’s best rushers and could make a huge difference in getting their defense back to respectability in 2026. The only drawback is that a contract would take up a large chunk of their new space.
Odafe Oweh
If the Cowboys would like to spread their money around but still improve their pass rush, Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers veteran Odafe Oweh should be a target in free agency. While he isn’t considered one of the best pass rushers in the game, he may be growing into one after 17.5 sacks over the last two seasons. He is only 27 and would come at a much lower rate than Hendrickson.
Bryan Cook
If the Cowboys can’t make a trade for Fitzpatrick, another intriguing option is former Kansas City Chiefs second-round pick Bryan Cook. The free agent has grown into a reliable safety and has already been part of a pair of Super Bowl-winning teams. At 26, he can be one of the anchors of Dallas’ secondary for the next five years and still has room to get even better after posting 85 tackles and six passes defended in 2025.
Maxx Crosby
There have been rumors swirling about the Las Vegas Raiders potentially trading Maxx Crosby for weeks. While both sides have been playing nice of late, the organization should consider trade offers because it has a lot of needs after a 3-14 finish last season.
Reports suggest the Raiders would like a couple of first-round picks in a potential deal. The Cowboys have two in April and could add another in a future draft. It’s an offer Dallas might make and one the Raiders should take.
Devin Lloyd
Another route the Cowboys could go with their new money is to improve their linebacker corps with a top player on the open market. And few are better than Jacksonville Jaguars Pro Bowler Devin Lloyd. In three of his first four seasons, he posted well over 100 tackles and had an impressive five interceptions in 2025. The former first-round pick is the sort of game-changing talent Dallas can use in the middle of their defense.
