The Dallas Cowboys are looking to make a splash in free agency, as they remain committed to their top offensive stars, including quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver Ceedee Lamb.
They’re also looking to keep receiver George Pickens on the roster, but it remains to be seen if that move will work out. The team placed a franchise tag on Pickens last Friday, giving them the ability to match other teams’ offers to Pickens during free agency.
As a potential Pickens deal looms, the team recently restructured contracts for offensive lineman Tyler Smith, along with Lamb and Prescott. That helped put the team under the salary cap, giving them some flexibility to be aggressive in free agency.
Prescott, appearing at a Children’s Cancer Fund event, shared his thoughts about the team improving its roster during the offseason. He spoke about the team not having any redshirts and needing players who can begin playing right away.
“We’ve got a coach in his second year. We know we’ve had some ups and downs and some good moments last year. This is the year that you make a big jump, and getting big-time players who can help immediately is a key part of that,” Prescott told reporters.
Along with those remarks, he also shared his thoughts on the team recently placing the franchise tag on George Pickens. According to Prescott, Pickens “loves football,” and he shouldn’t change his love for the game.
“He played last year on a one-year, for not even that much, so if he can go 30 [million dollars] or whatever it is now, that’s the same thing I got,” Prescott joked about Pickens’ contract situation.
“At the end of the day, bet on yourself. He’s a hell of a player. Hopefully, we can get him long-term and sign that, but if not, I think that the way that he plays the game and the person he is, he’ll be just fine,” the Cowboys star said.
The Cowboys placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on Pickens, which secures him for a one-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $27.3 million to $28 million. As mentioned, the Cowboys have the option to match any offer other teams make to Pickens. If they choose not to, the team that signs Pickens must send them two first-round draft picks.
Meanwhile, Prescott is under a four-year, $240 million contract extension he signed in Sept. 2024, with his $60 million per year making him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history. Based on his recent remarks, he believes the team can regain its previous winning ways after a disappointing 2025 season.
With the recent restructuring the Cowboys did, it should give them extra spending power to add significant talent to the roster and potentially make themselves NFC playoff contenders once again next season.