The Dallas Cowboys' trade for former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. makes them a much better short-term team, but it also puts a great deal of the responsibility for their future plans in the hands of David Mulugheta.
The Cowboys have 20 free agents ahead of the 2027 season, and six of them are Mulugheta clients. That group includes all of their Steelers trade acquisitions in Porter, wide receiver George Pickens, and offensive tackle Broderick Jones.
Also included in that mix are starting linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and starting safety Malik Hooker.
Considering how things went down with Micah Parsons, who is also a Mulugheta client, that should frighten Cowboys fans. If Jerry Jones doesn't get in a good negotiating spot with Mulugheta before the rubber hits the road in the offseason, the chances of this group's key members staying for the next half-decade seem unlikely.
Cowboys are in trouble if Jerry Jones doesn't learn to play nice with David Mulugheta
The two big negotiations are with Porter and Pickens. The former left Pittsburgh in order to angle for top-line cornerback money, which will pay him well over $30 million per season. Porter has already been willing to show that he will sit out if his financial demands are not met, and the Cowboys could spend a second-round pick on a rental if they don't go down Porter's path.
Pickens has already been franchise tagged once before, and it seems unlikely they will tag him twice. While the Cowboys could theoretically stomach losing him due to the presence of CeeDee Lamb, Pickens is an ascending player who has done nothing but ball out in Dallas. Plain and simple, he needs to be retained.
Mulugheta has some leverage with both of these clients here. He knows that Dallas has somewhat boxed themselves in here. They won't be able to let both of these guys walk in free agency, lest the fanbase revolt and the Cowboys start to slide to the bottom of the NFC East.
The Cowboys may need to extend multiple David Mulugheta clients
It's not just the heavy hitters who need to be taken care of. Overshown is still a productive linebacker with room to grow, Jones is solid offensive line depth, and Hooker has been a starting-caliber safety when healthy. Those starters may not be easily replaced.
On one hand, Mulugheta and Jones clearly have enough of a good relationship that multiple disgruntled clients have been funneled toward Dallas.
On the other, perhaps Mulugheta's most impactful client is Parsons, and the way they screwed up that situation should be written about in sports law case studies as an example of what not to do.
If Mulugheta and Jones aren't anywhere close to the same ballpark when it comes to getting equitable deals for his clients, Pickens and Porter can be in limbo, all while Dallas' push to get back in the championship picture fall flat on its face as the cornerstone players start to bolt.
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