2025 NFL Offseason Primer: Dallas Cowboys

Logan Ulrich

March 2, 2025

Dallas Cowboys

Projected Cap Space: -$1.7 million

Draft Picks: 10

1st (No. 12)
2nd (No. 44)
3rd (No. 76)
5th (No. 150)
5th (No. 170, comp)
5th (No. 172, comp)
5th (No. 174, comp)
6th (No. 189)
6th (No. 211, comp)
7th (No. 250, KC)

Notable Free Agents:

DE DeMarcus Lawrence
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DL Chauncey Golston
G Zack Martin
RB Rico Dowdle
CB Jourdan Lewis
LB Eric Kendricks
QB Cooper Rush
QB Trey Lance
C Brock Hoffman (RFA)
WR Brandin Cooks
WR KaVontae Turpin (RFA)
DT Linval Joseph
P Bryan Anger
LS Trent Sieg

Top Three Needs

1 – Wide Receiver

While Dallas plans to be more run-heavy under new HC Brian Schottenheimer and currently has just one running back under contract in 2025 (5-6, 176-pound Deuce Vaughn), there’s also a lack of pass-catching weapons outside of star WR CeeDee Lamb. Those players are still harder to find than running backs, so while the Cowboys need to add at both positions, receiver “should” be a higher priority, especially with Cooks set to walk.

It’s possible the Cowboys won’t feel that way, though. Former third-round WR Jalen Tolbert made some strides last year with 610 yards and seven touchdowns. All-Pro returner KaVontae Turpin gets some burn on offense and could be tasked with doing more. They liked WR Jonathan Mingo enough to trade a fourth-round pick for him at the deadline last year, although he’s made a minimal impact for both the Panthers and Cowboys so far in his two-year career.

Yet any significant reliance on those three would be more about the Cowboys penny-pinching with Lamb’s contract and others on the books than actually being aggressive about trying to win. Injuries exposed how reliant the passing game was on Lamb to have success last year. Finding another weapon or two to take advantage of how much attention opposing defenses focus on Lamb would be a huge benefit to the Cowboys’ offense.

2 – Defensive Tackle

Fortunately for the Cowboys, this upcoming draft class is looking particularly strong at defensive tackle because Dallas could easily stand to double-dip at the position. Odighizuwa, Golston and Joseph are pending free agents and Odighizuwa at least will fetch a lot more in free agency than the Cowboys will want to match. Golston is more of a tweener edge/interior player, while Joseph is on his last legs.

Meanwhile incumbents like Mazi Smith, Justin Rogers and Earnest Brown have not done much to inspire confidence in anything more than a bit role at the moment. The Cowboys will leave the light on for Smith, a former first-round pick, but overall the whole starting lineup and rotation needs to be revamped.

New Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus will also have a big impact. He’s an established defensive architect who has some clear prototypes for what he wants, including a dominant pass-rushing defensive tackle. That player does not exist on the roster right now and it’ll be up to the Cowboys’ front office to find him.

3 – Secondary

Linebacker is flying under the radar as a big need too considering how Eberflus puts more of an emphasis on the position than many of his colleagues and the roster is thin with Kendricks set to hit free agency and Overshown facing a long, arduous rehab process that could keep him out all of 2025.

But things are just as shaky in the secondary, which was victimized by opponents for most of the 2024 season. Dallas was 17th in passing yards allowed but that’s because opponents could run on them just as easily. In net yards per attempt allowed, the Cowboys plunged to 28th. Injuries were a big problem and unfortunately that’s going to remain an issue in 2025 with CB Trevon Diggs having a chondral knee graft surgery to try and fix a lingering issue. His rehab is expected to stretch into training camp and potentially the regular season.

Dallas should get CB DaRon Bland back after a foot injury derailed most of his 2024 season but there are several pending free agents and 2024 fifth-round CB Caelen Carson looked overwhelmed when pressed into action. The Cowboys probably need multiple additions at cornerback.

Safety could need attention, too. Both Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson are under contract in 2025 but those are deals the Cowboys could get out of to save money and create cap space this offseason. With a new voice in Eberflus coming in, there’s a good chance the Cowboys try to get younger and cheaper.

One Big Question

Can Jerry Jones back into success despite himself?

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t run his team like any of the other 31 NFL owners. For Jones, the brand of the Cowboys is just as important as whether or not the team is successful on the field, and there are tons of examples in the past couple of years of how decisions were made not to maximize the chances of winning, but for other business or brand-related reasons.

Repeatedly saying the Cowboys were “all-in” last offseason, then signing one (1) outside free agent.
Dragging out contract negotiations for Lamb late into camp at least in part because it kept Dallas in the headlines.
Letting former HC Mike McCarthy walk because, in part, he tried to cheap out with shorter deals for him and his staff.
Hiring Schottenheimer as a replacement instead of a more well-known (and more costly) candidate who would butt heads with Jones, who’s proud of being the only owner who’s also the GM.
The damn curtains.

The Cowboys have already said this offseason will look similar to last year with the budget concerns they have with deals for Lamb, QB Dak Prescott and an imminent one for DE Micah Parsons, so the expectation is there will once again be more notable departures than notable additions in Dallas. Last year there was already noticeable apathy among the fanbase in training camp, and that will only worsen with Schottenheimer taking over.

As the rest of the NFC East makes big swings and sees success, the glaring lack of success for the Cowboys over the past several decades stands out. At this point, if Dallas is going to break through for any real success, it’s going to have to come in spite of Jones, not because of him.