The 2026 offseason promises to be a bit of a weird one for the Dallas Cowboys. While they likely will splash a ton of cash to keep some of their biggest names in town, they are unlikely to spend a ton on external free agents due to the cost of bringing in names like George Pickens and Kenny Clark.
However, if Dallas is going to look to improve what remains one of the worst secondaries in the NFL, they need to make a run at Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean after a breakout season, With or without Matt Eberflus, Dean is a player who can immediatey improve this defense.
Pro Football Focus listed Dean as one of 15 underrated free agents who are going to cash in during this offseason. If he's going to cash in with someone, why not make that team Dallas? It'll deprive NFC foes Tampa Bay of their top dog.
Cowboys could target Buccaneers CB Jamel Dean in free agency
Dean has been one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL all season long, as he has finally seemed to realize how to blend his immense physical talent with the comfort in Todd Bowles' scheme that has helped take a moribund Buccaneers defense back to respectability.
On top of the fact that Dallas is clearly going to be in attack mode as long as Prescott is the starting quarterback, the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft class is regarded as extremely thin when it comes to defensive backs. If Dallas doesn't pay up in free agency, they could overdraft someone not worth a top pick.
While Jerry Jones may need to either go back on his word to keep all three defensive tackles or do tons of cap gymnastics to accommodate the new contracts. It's improbable, but Jones has always been willing to shift money around if he identifies a player he has to have.
While this team would clearly be better if they still had Micah Parsons, this is the flexibility Jones and Dallas seemingly craved when they made the trade. Bringing back Pickens, retaining the trio of run-stuffers, and adding a new DB like Dean would make Dallas a viable NFC East threat again.