It's been two weeks since the start of NFL free agency, and what a wild two weeks it's been. Even with clubs having the benefit of a record-high salary cap of $301.2 million for the 2026 campaign, it honestly felt like more than ever found themselves being forced to cut high-profile players in order to get under the limit, thus creating a bigger pool of players than initially expected.
As such, the league will look a little different next season, as plenty of rosters have changed dramatically. The Dallas Cowboys don't really fall into that category, as they haven't made a ton of high-profile changes. But some of the moves they have made have certainly addressed some of their big needs, specifically on the defensive side of the ball, which was obviously America's Team's weakest unit this past year.
There's no question that the Cowboys' roster is already stronger than it was in 2025, but the fact that they barely cracked the top half of Pro Football Focus' recent power rankings, coming in at No. 16, it's pretty clear that Jerry Jones still needs to do more if Dallas is to be considered a genuine Super Bowl contender. Here's a quick look at what that No. 16 assessment looked like:
"After surrendering the most passing yards in the NFL during the regular season, the Cowboys have made it a point to address key defensive deficiencies. Dallas took steps to add to its pass rush by trading for Rashan Gary and bolstered the secondary through the additions of safeties Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke and cornerback Cobie Durant.
Each of those moves will likely help to pull the pass defense out of the basement of the NFL and take pressure off the offense."
The Dallas Cowboys checked in at No. 16 in PFF's power rankings
For those wondering, the top 15 in PFF's power rankings are as follows:
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Buffalo Bills
- Baltimore Ravens
- Green Bay Packers
- Detroit Lions
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Houston Texans
- San Francisco 49ers
- New England Patriots
- Denver Broncos
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Chicago Bears
As you can see, the top half was an even split, as Dallas was the eighth NFC team listed at No. 16. I don't necessarily agree with the entire order here, but the Cowboys are probably right around where they should be at this point.
In re-signing running back Javonte Williams and bringing back All-Pro wideout George Pickens on the franchise tag, the Cowboys should once again find themselves among the league leaders in offense, which ranked second in the league this past season in total yards per game (391.9) and seventh in scoring (27.7).
The defense, meanwhile, was absolutely dreadful. As mentioned above, Dallas surrendered the most passing yards per game (251.5), and from an overall standpoint, the unit ranked 30th in total yards per game allowed (377.0) and dead last in scoring (30.1).
The additions of Gary, Thompson. Locke, and Durant will help matters, of course, and having Quinnen Williams for a full season will be a sight to see, especially with new defensive coordinator Christian Parker looking to implement some different and much more exciting schemes.
But again, the Cowboys still have plenty of holes to fill. Linebacker is still a glaring issue at this point, and Jones must absolutely use one of the team's two first-round draft picks to address this need. Some more help on the edge obviously wouldn't hurt, nor would some more depth at cornerback.
Now, don't get it twisted; the offense can still improve as well. But the majority of the help this team needs right now is on defense.
And if the Cowboys can add a few more impact players, whether in the draft or via a post-draft trade like they made last year to get Pickens, they'll find themselves rising up some of these power rankings over the next few months leading into the 2026 campaign.