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Dallas Cowboys News

Well, we might have this year’s version of going “all in” in our hands. Dallas Cowboys’ executive vice president Stephen Jones talked to reporters ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine and described the team’s plan for free agency to be “selectively aggressive.”

“We’re going to look at everything we can, we’re going to be selectively aggressive,” Jones told reporters via The Athletic’s Jon Machota.

Jones added they’re going to improve the football team while noting there are constraints, alluding to the salary cap, which is taking a larger leap than expected this year.

I don’t know that Jones could’ve come with a more mystifying way to put it. Selectively aggressive. When Jerry Jones said in 2024 the Cowboys were “all in,” most people thought he meant the team would spend in players to get the best version of the team on the field. Instead, Jerry meant he was all in on the players he already had but naturally, fans’ line of thinking was the reasonable one.

But Stephen’s “selectively aggressive” is completely open for interpretation and if I’m being honest, I believe fans should be skeptical. Let the Cowboys earn back the benefit of the doubt.

You see, the Cowboys could be selectively aggressive with an emphasis on selective and sign two outside free agents in March like they did last year in LB Eric Kendricks and RB Royce Freeman, the latter of which didn’t even play a single down.

They could limit themselves to re-signing a few of their own players and hope they can fill pressing needs with rookies picked in the NFL Draft, including Day 2 and Day 3 picks, which they went on to do last season.

Or they could be selectively aggressive with aggressive being the word carrying the most weight. In this scenario, the Cowboys would get a long-term deal done for Osa Odighizuwa and Micah Parsons to avoid having them account for inflexible cap numbers in March. They’d sign top pending free agents like Rico Dowdle and Jourdan Lewis, who are unlikely to get offers at the top of the market. But that would be just the start.

Being aggressive in free agency doesn’t mean going out there and signing the top name in the market but rather making several moves to cross off needs from the team’s list and avoid drafting to fill holes in April.

Take wide receiver for example: The Cowboys badly need a No. 2 to pair with CeeDee Lamb. Sure, Luther Burden might be a promising prospect at wideout but who knows who’s going to be on the board when Dallas is on the clock.

Signing a wide receiver with a proven track record to complement Lamb would be much wiser. Otherwise, it might end up being a position you’re addressing with a post-draft addition which are rarely impactful.

The Cowboys could also use a defensive end to pair with Micah Parsons, specially if they don’t retain DeMarcus Lawrence. With Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown going through injuries that could limit them early in the 2025 season, cornerback and linebacker depth would be make worthwhile additions.

Last year, cornerback and nose tackle were positions known to need better depth. The Cowboys refused to make a move at CB and as a result of DaRon Bland’s training camp injury, fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson got the start in Week 1.

The front office was also forced to sign multiple defensive tackles in August with training camp already underway.

Simply put, the process must be improved. Being more aggressive than selective will be the key. Now we wait to see what Stephen Jones really means.