NFC East 2025 free agency grades: Dallas Cowboys edition

Now that we're more than a week into NFL free agency and the action around the league has stalled out a bit, let's grade each of the NFC East teams' free agency periods.

I had planned on starting from worst record to best record, but I'd like to see what the moronic Giants are going to do at quarterback first, so we'll save them for later in the week and instead start with the Cowboys.

Players gained

• EDGE Dante Fowler: Fowler hasn't found a long-term home in the NFL, as he has played for the Jaguars, Rams, Falcons, Cowboys, Commanders, and now a second stint with the Cowboys. After leaving to play for the Commanders last season, he had 10.5 sacks in Washington, and is returning to Dallas on a one-year deal worth a reported $8 million.

• OG Robert Jones: Jones was a Dolphins 2021 UDFA who was a backup the first three years of his career in Miami, and a starter in 2024. Just a guy. With Zack Martin retiring, he'll compete for the starting RG job. He signed a one-year deal reportedly worth $4.75 million.

• RB Miles Sanders: Sanders' production fell off a cliff after signing with the Panthers in free agency, as he averaged 3.5 yards per carry in two seasons in Carolina. He signed a one-year deal reportedly worth $1.3 million.

• RB Javonte Williams: Williams had 3.6 yards per carry in 2023, 3.7 yards per carry in 2024. He agreed to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million.

• CB Kaiir Elam: The Cowboys traded a fifth-round pick in 2025 and a seventh-round pick in 2026 to the Bills for Elam and a sixth-round pick in 2025. In January, Trevon Diggs had a "chondral tissue graft procedure" that is going to keep him out of a good chunk of the 2025 season, at a minimum. The Cowboys also lost longtime slot corner Jourdan Lewis, so they badly need help at corner. Elam is 6'1 and he runs a 4.39 40, but for whatever reason he was a first-round bust for the Bills.

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• LB Kenneth Murray: The Cowboys traded a sixth-round pick for Murray and a seventh-round pick. Murray was a Chargers first-round pick (23rd overall) in 2020. I can't say I've watched much of Murray, but for what it's worth, he has some horrid run defense grades from PFF. 

• LB Jack Sanborn: Sanborn was an undrafted player in 2022 who played for three years with the Bears. The Bears non-tendered him as a restricted free agent, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Cowboys then signed him to a one-year deal. He had 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks for the Bears in 2024, and will reunite with former Bears HC / current Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus. 

• EDGE Payton Turner: Turner was a first-round bust for the Saints. In his first three seasons, he played in just 15 games, logging just 339 defensive snaps. However, in 2024 he mostly stayed healthy and contributed as a rotational edge defender, registering 21 tackles, 2 sacks (both of which were strip sacks), and 4 batted passes in 335 snaps. He also played 231 special teams snaps. I haven't seen any financials on this signing, which usually means he was cheap. I like this move as an upside play.

• DT Solomon Thomas: The Cowboys desperately need more defensive line depth. Thomas was a bust as the No. 3 overall pick of the 2017 draft, but he has at least managed to stick in the league for 8+ seasons. He had 26 tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Jets in 2024.

• WR Parris Campbell: The Cowboys were interested in Cooper Kupp, but he instead signed with the Seahawks. Their consolation prize was... Parris Campbell? 😬

Players retained

• DT Osa Odighizuwa: Odighizuwa got a four-year deal worth $80 million. Odighizuwa is a good-not-great starter, but because the Cowboys are so thin on the interior of their defensive line they really had little choice but to retain him. He got a four-year deal with $80 million, or $20 million/year. Compare that with the $26 million/year contract Milton Williams scored, and Odighizuwa's contract was a bargain. 

• WR/RS KaVontae Turpin: Turpin is probably the best return specialist in the NFL, and he is emerging as a legitimate weapon as a wide receiver as well. He signed a three-year deal worth $18 million. That's another bargain, in my opinion.

• iOL Brock Hoffman: Hoffman has become a good three-position backup on the interior O-line.

• S Markquese Bell: Bell signed on a three-year deal worth $9 million. He has played both LB and S for Dallas. He had 94 tackles as a starter in 2023, 6 tackles in 2024.

• S Israel Mukuamu: Mukuamu was a special teamer and role player in the regular defense. He actually had a pair of INTs on just 200 defensive snaps.

• S Juanyeh Thomas: Mostly a special teamer.

• CB C.J. Goodwin: Special teamer.

• DE Tyrus Wheat: I won't pretend to have any salient points to make about Tyrus Wheat.

• P Bryan Anger: Anger will return for his fifth season as the Cowboys' punter. He finished middle of the pack in punter EPA in 2024.

• LS Trent Sieg: The Cowboys have one of the best kickers in the NFL in Brandon Aubrey, so it's wise not to mess with the field goal operation.

Players lost

• RG Zack Martin: Martin retired. He was a nine-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler. He suffered an assortment of injuries in 2024 and his play feel off drastically. 

• DL DeMarcus Lawrence: Lawrence was something of the Brandon Graham of the Cowboys, in that he only had two double-digit sack seasons, but was an impactful player, notably in the run game. He made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023, and his 2024 season was off to great start as he had 3 sacks in the first 4 games, but a foot injury ended his season. He signed with the Seahawks on a three-year deal worth $42 million. Lawrence will turn 33 this offseason, but this loss will hurt.

On a side note, Lawrence got into a Twitter fight with Micah Parsons after he left, perhaps revealing some bad blood in the Cowboys' locker room.

• RB Rico Dowdle: Dowdle got 235 carries for 1079 yards (4.6 YPC) and 2 TDs as Dallas' lead back in 2024. He signed with the Panthers to be their RB2 behind Chuba Hubbard. It feels like a good bet that the Cowboys will draft a running back.

• SCB Jourdan Lewis: Lewis has been a slot corner for the Cowboys since they selected him in the third round of the 2017 draft. The Jaguars gave him a three-year deal worth $30 million, because they're the Jaguars.

• EDGE Chauncey Golston: Golston was a Cowboys third-round pick in 2021. He was quiet the first three years of his career, but he had 5.5 sacks in 2024. He signed for three years, $19.5 million with the Giants.

• QB Cooper Rush: Rush signed with the Ravens. He had a 9-5 career record as a starter with the Cowboys, somehow.

• OL Chuma Edoga: Edoga is a backup lineman who started 10 games for Dallas the last two years. He signed with the Jaguars.

The tale of the tape

Analysis/Grade

The Cowboys get a golf clap for the team-friendly deals they worked out with Osa Odighizuwa and KaVontae Turpin. However, for the second straight offseason, they got worse in free agency. We'll see what the Cowboys are able to do in the draft, but so far, on paper, they have downgrades at RG, EDGE, slot CB, and RB.

But the Cowboys' additions and subtractions take a back seat to the bigger picture, which is that Jerry Jones and the gang seemingly have learned nothing from their botched "wait it out" contract negotiation strategies with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, as Micah Parsons still does not yet have a new deal. Parsons is scheduled to play on his fifth-year option at a little over $24 million. 

Last offseason, new deals for Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence pushed the quarterback market to a place where Prescott was able to cash in on a $60 million/year deal. Similarly, a deal for Justin Jefferson got done before Lamb's new deal, before Lamb finally signed a four-year deal worth $34 million/year.

This offseason, while Jones was twiddling his thumbs, Maxx Crosby signed a new deal worth $35.5 million/year, and Myles Garrett got a new deal worth $40 million/year, temporarily making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history. JaMarr Chase later topped Garrett's deal when he signed a four-year deal worth $40.25 million/year. Those deals have no doubt raised the floor for a new Parsons deal.

Grade: D.

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