Dallas has already gone to work, first agreeing to terms on running back Javonte Williams with a three-year, $24 million extension. The Cowboys also kept their top playmaker off the market by placing the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens on Friday.
Along with free agency, the Cowboys have a chance to add talent in April with two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Jones added that he won’t rule out the possibility of making a trade, something Dallas hasn’t been wary of doing recently with the acquisitions of Clark and Quinnen Williams — additions after the blockbuster Micah Parsons trade.
“I don’t know that I expected it, but we have the ammunition to be good at it,” Jones said. “And I wouldn’t hesitate to be good at it if it’s going to help our team and help the timeline that we’re talking about.”
In 2025, Dallas once again fell short in the postseason despite boasting one of the league’s top offenses. The Cowboys defense finished 30th in yards allowed (377.0 yards per game) and last in points allowed per game (30.1).
Improving the defense will first begin with a completely new organization following the hiring of Christian Parker as the new defensive coordinator. Parker will bring a new 3-4 scheme to a unit that has a solid defensive lineup and several key pieces expected to be healthy in 2026, including linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and cornerback DaRon Bland.
With an offense already poised to compete, Dallas’ potential free agent spending figures will have a defensive focus. Trey Hendrickson, Devin Lloyd, Odafe Oweh, Boye Mafe, Jamel Dean are among the defensive backs ranked in the top 20 on Gregg Rosenthal’s Top 101 list.
It remains to be seen exactly how far the Cowboys are willing to go in free agency this spring, but Jones promises a changed approach to quell the underlying frustrations of a franchise that hasn’t seen an NFC Championship game since 1995.
“I can’t really fathom the thought of winning one Super Bowl and then what? Jones said. “I’ve got more time on my clock than that on my mind. And that’s why I don’t see it that way. I see the possibility of fielding a team and basically knocking on the edge and getting another or getting a chance at another.
“That’s the way it goes in my opinion. … Make no mistake about it now, if you told me I could do it, because I’ve done a lot of heathiking all my life … I’d start right here with you right now and go back to Dallas to win the Super Bowl.”