Trending Now - Cowboys Revamp Contracts and Eye Trades Ahead of Offseason

WHO:

Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones, owner and general manager of the Cowboys

Dak Prescott, quarterback for the Cowboys

CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver for the Cowboys

Tyler Smith, left guard for the Cowboys

George Pickens, wide receiver for the Cowboys

Javonte Williams, running back for the Cowboys

Christian Parker, new defensive coordinator for the Cowboys

WHAT:

The Cowboys restructured contracts for Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Tyler Smith.

The contract restructures created approximately $66 million in salary cap space.

Prescott's base salary was reduced from $40 million to $1.8 million.

Lamb's and Smith's base salaries were reduced to around $1.7 million.

The Cowboys are expected to restructure contracts for defensive tackles Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Osa Odighizuwa.

The Cowboys placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on George Pickens.

Javonte Williams signed a three-year deal with the Cowboys.

The NFL's legal tampering period begins on March 9, 2026, and the new league year starts on March 11, 2026.

WHERE:

Frisco, Texas

Indianapolis, Indiana (NFL Combine)

WHEN:

The contract restructures were completed on March 6, 2026.

The NFL Combine took place the week prior to March 6, 2026.

Javonte Williams signed his deal in February 2026.

The Cowboys will have until mid-July 2026 to finalize a multi-year deal with George Pickens.

WHY:

The restructures were necessary to create cap space ahead of free agency, as the Cowboys were nearly $55 million over the $301.2 million salary cap.

Jerry Jones expressed a desire to be aggressive in free agency to improve the team's defense, which finished last in yards and 30th in points per game in the previous season.

HOW:

The Cowboys restructured contracts by lowering players' base salaries and converting the difference into signing bonuses for cap purposes.

Jerry Jones indicated a willingness to "borrow some of my future" to increase spending in free agency.

QUOTES:

Jerry Jones: "Expect me to go borrow some of my future… I want to do everything we possibly can to stop somebody and to basically win some third downs more than we did last year."

Dak Prescott on George Pickens: "Don't change your love for football. Don't get in the business mind of this."

Dak Prescott on Javonte Williams: "It was huge… I'm just glad they were able to get the deal done, for all parties."

In a significant move to improve their roster, the Dallas Cowboys restructured contracts for quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and left guard Tyler Smith, creating approximately $66 million in salary cap space. Prescott's base salary was dramatically reduced from $40 million to just $1.8 million, while Lamb's and Smith's base salaries were lowered to around $1.7 million each. The Cowboys also placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens and signed running back Javonte Williams to a three-year deal. Owner Jerry Jones emphasized the need to be aggressive in free agency to bolster the team's defense, which struggled last season, and he expressed a willingness to "borrow some of my future" to make that happen. As the NFL's legal tampering period begins on March 9 and the new league year starts on March 11, the Cowboys are expected to continue restructuring contracts to further enhance their roster.