The Dallas Cowboys have spent more money on external players in free agency than they usually do, choosing to bring in Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson with a three-year contract. Outside of him, Dallas has acquired Rashan Gary via trade and mostly made moves around the margins.
Despite those improvements, in tandem with some subtractions after trading Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas to the 49ers and Titans (respectively), Jerry Jones making this lackluster defense hasn't done much to impress some analysts who want to see more from this organization.
Pro Football Focus only gave the Cowboys a C grade for their performance in free agency after one week of action, which seems a bit harsh for a team that added multiple starters without breaking the bank. Gary seems to be the big reason for the harsh grade.
PFF gives the Dallas Cowboys a C grade for 2026 free agency
Most of the criticism of Dallas' offseason seems to lie around the Gary trade, as the Cowboys surrendered a fourth-round pick to bring in a pass rusher who has never been and likely never will be the masterful sack artist the Cowboys need. However, Dallas likely doesn't expect him to take that leap.
Getting an edge-setting defensive lineman alongside someone who is never going to be a great run defender in Donovan Ezeuriaku gives the Cowboys a bit more balance than they had last season, all while ensuring their defensive line is one of the best in the business at stopping the run.
Trading Odigihizuwa to the 49ers seems like a move that could come back to bite Dallas in the rear, but they got a solid pick back for a player who was forced out of a role after the acquisitions of both Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams within a few months of each other.
With depth signings like Cobie Durant and PJ Locke getting some signs of approval from the PFF folks, it appears as though the biggest issue this team has is the Gary trade, which could be nullified if the change in scheme could be enough to unlock his full potential.
Dallas may not have made the big-ticket acquisition many were expecting, but they managed to address some of the bigger holes on the roster and still have two first-round picks to use. Gary can take this grade up a few notches retroactively if he ends up hitting in Christian Parker's scheme.