Why Schottenheimer’s success in Year 1 might hinge on Cowboys’ free agency​on February 5, 2025 at 1:49 pm

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys can only look longingly at the Philadelphia Eagles these days, since their NFC East rival is playing in the Super Bowl for the third time in the past eight seasons.

While the Cowboys try to find a Super Bowl formula that has eluded them since 1995, the Eagles are playing for another chance to win a Lombardi Trophy. They won Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots. They lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in LVII and have a chance to exact revenge in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET, Fox).

Last week, the Cowboys hired Brian Schottenheimer, their seventh head coach since winning Super Bowl XXX, and hope the first-time head coach can do what Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Bill Parcells, Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy couldn’t.

To get there, the Cowboys know they have to improve their roster in every possible way, including — get this — free agency.

“We’ll do a real deep dive on putting some personnel together, whether it be through the draft, free agency,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “I know typically that’s not been the way we’ve done this team, but we’ll certainly look at it and put really good, not only players, but good football character people with some of the men we have in this room right now.”

Jones’ comments were not only for the players in attendance at Schottenheimer’s introductory news conference, but also for the fans frustrated with the organization’s approach to building the roster of late.

The Eagles added Saquon Barkley on a three-year, $37.75 million deal last offseason and found a Pro Bowler in linebacker Zack Baun on a one-year deal. They will have 12 different starters in Super Bowl LIX compared to Super Bowl LVII, with four added in free agency, five in the draft, one via a trade and one as an undrafted free agent.

Last year, the Cowboys took time in signing wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott, but their biggest free agent signing was running back Ezekiel Elliott at a max of $3 million. Linebacker Eric Kendricks signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Cowboys following his release from the Los Angeles Chargers, so he did not count as an unrestricted free agent signing. And that came after he had an agreement with the San Francisco 49ers.

Kendricks led the Cowboys in tackles. Elliott ran for 226 yards and was released — at his request — before the final game of the regular season.

The Cowboys have not made a marquee free agent signing since cornerback Brandon Carr signed a five-year, $50 million deal in 2012. That year, they also added offensive linemen Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings. Bernadeau started 29 games over four seasons, but Livings was released after one.

Carr played all five years, never missed a game but had only seven interceptions. He was a good player being paid like a great player at that time.

When the Cowboys have used free agency effectively, they have been able to draft effectively. They have had success in finding relatively low-cost free agents, such as RB Darren McFadden (2015), WR Randall Cobb (2019) and LB Dante Fowler Jr. (2022).

In 2023, the Cowboys made smart trades for cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks, giving up Day 3 draft picks for key components in their 12-5 team that won the NFC East.

So it’s not about spending the most money. It’s about hitting on the middle class in free agency and filling needs before the draft.

And that means doing what they can to keep some of their own free agents — such as defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, cornerback Jourdan Lewis, defensive end Chauncey Golston and running back Rico Dowdle — and/or finding help at wide receiver and offensive line.

“I think the bigger thing here is — which has been our goal in the past — where can we in free agency take care of some core needs so that when the draft comes you are able to take the best player on the board?” Jones said. “Not unlike what we did with CeeDee Lamb [in 2020]. We weren’t necessarily in that draft looking for a receiver, but CeeDee Lamb’s sitting there and it’s obvious what you do there. And I think if you do some things in free agency, like we’ve done in the past, or really take care of your roster before the draft comes around, you have a much better chance.”

But last year, they let key players — running back Tony Pollard, defensive end Dorance Armstrong, left tackle Tyron Smith, center Tyler Biadasz, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and Fowler — walk while not doing enough to replace them.

They did not need to add a running back such as Derrick Henry, who signed a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens that had $9 million guaranteed, but they could have done more than Elliott and Royce Freeman.

In December, Jones raised some ire when he said the Cowboys faced a challenge in their 2025 salary cap.

Whether veterans recovering from serious injuries, such as Cooks (meniscus surgery), guard Zack Martin (ankle surgery) and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (Lisfranc) are on the 2025 roster or not, they will count more than $20 million against the cap with the void years on their deals coming due. According to NFLPA figures, the Cowboys will carry $18.8 million over from 2024 to 2025, which will account for most of that.

Just by restructuring the contracts of Prescott and Lamb, the Cowboys can open up about $56 million in room. They can create more space by signing edge rusher Micah Parsons to a long-term deal sooner rather than later.

“We want to improve significantly how we’re doing the cap,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said.

Cap space hasn’t been the issue. Teams can maneuver the money around, but the Cowboys’ fear has been pushing too much money down the road and hurting themselves in the future, as it appears the New Orleans Saints will.

“I know that [if] the bank account’s full that doesn’t mean you got money,” Jerry Jones said. “It just means you haven’t paid your bills due 60 days from now. So you’ve got to look around the corner.”

But at least the Cowboys are talking about using free agency again, and that might help Schottenheimer succeed in Year 1.

“We’re not naïve,” Stephen Jones said. “I know our fans, they’re not going to believe, and there’s going to be pressure until we get the job done.”