Jerry Jones is on the record saying that he will "bust the budget" this offseason to build the Dallas Cowboys into a contender. Luckily for Jones, his offense is already a juggernaut, and almost the entire starting 11 is under contract for next season.
While that’s all well and good, the defense was one of the worst in NFL history this season. It needs three new pass rushers, at least one starting-caliber cornerback, two starting-caliber linebackers, and a safety. That’s the bare minimum.
The bad news? The Cowboys are currently projected to be $39 million over the cap, per Over The Cap. The good news? The NFL’s salary cap is remarkably easy to manipulate. Jerry and Stephen Jones can snap their fingers and make more than $90 million appear.
5 moves Cowboys can make to generate $94.9 million in cap space
Restructure Dak Prescott - $30.96 million
The Joneses are not easy to predict, but you can put it down in pen that they will tinker with Prescott's contract to get cap-compliant.
Kicking the can down the road with a 32-year-old quarterback is risky, but Prescott's game is going to age extremely well. As long as he remains healthy, Dallas can expect another 3-5 years of high-level play from its QB1. A simple restructure would free up a whopping $30.9 million in cap room.
Restructure CeeDee Lamb - $19.02 million
Lamb is set to have a $38.4 million cap hit next season. Like Prescott, restructuring Lamb's deal is a no-brainer, as he'll be entering year two of the four-year, $136 million extension he signed in August of 2024.
The Cowboys restructured Lamb's contract last offseason to create $20 million in cap room. The savings would be almost identical this time around. Lamb's $25 million base salary becomes guaranteed in March. They can convert that salary into a bonus.
Cut Terence Steele - $14 million
Cutting Steele is already a polarizing topic amongst Cowboys Nation. Based on total guaranteed money, he is the fifth-highest-paid right tackle in the league. He's 12th in annual salary ($16.5 million) and sixth in total contract value ($82.5 million). While criticism of Steele has been overblown, he has also not lived up to those figures.
Among 77 tackles who played at least 300 pass-blocking snaps this season, Steele allowed the most pressures (52), second-most hurries (37), sixth-most quarterback hits (nine), and his 95.6 pass-blocking efficiency was 12th-worst, per Pro Football Focus.
It's easy to say the Cowboys should cut Steele, but they don't have a readymade replacement waiting in the wings, and they certainly can't afford to spend a first-round pick on another tackle. It's an option, but it isn't as cut and dry as some think.
Extend Quinnen Williams - $15.56 million
Extending Williams should be another no-brainer for the front office. He signed a four-year, $96 million extension with the Jets in 2023. There are two years left on that deal, and Dallas would be smart to extend him before he enters the final year of it in 2027.
The Joneses aren't known for being proactive with contract extensions, but Williams was a revelation for the defense after he was acquired before the trade deadline. From Week 11 on, he tallied the most pressures (21) and the highest pass-rush win rate (18.4 percent) of any interior defender, per PFF.
The Cowboys gave up a lot to get him, so he obviously isn't going anywhere. Extending him would knock out two birds with one stone.
Extend Kenny Clark - $15.36 million
The tricky thing with Clark is that Dallas can save $21.5 million by cutting him with a post–June 1 designation. However, the Joneses have spoken glowingly about Clark both as a player and a leader and hinted at his future with the team. He's clearly viewed as part of the solution.
If Clark is going to stick around, the Cowboys should extend him. Not only to lower his cap number, but to lock up a vital piece of the defense. His play improved significantly after the Quinnen Williams trade, as he logged an 80.8 pass-rush grade in true pass sets and 17 pressures.
The three-time Pro Bowler is making $21.3 million on his current deal. Given that he'll turn 31 in October, Dallas should be able to negotiate a short-term deal that checks in under $20 million per year.
Regardless of the terms, the front office has to do something to lower his $21.5 million cap number.