NFL analyst lauds and slams Dallas Cowboys in free agency rankings

The Dallas Cowboys earned some praise but were also slammed for their offseason work.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys were the least active team in NFL free agency last season, which set the bar incredibly low heading into this year.

That's why their modest moves have been met with more excitement than they should have been. That said, ESPN analyst Ben Solak says the Cowboys did what they were supposed to.

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In his NFL free agency ranking, Solak has the Cowboys at No. 18, but praises their "low-risk, high-reward moves," that filled in the margins around their cornerstone players. He also liked their decision to extend Osa Odighizuwa, which he called "team-friendly" after seeing what other defensive tackles earned.

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What he doesn't like is their lack of urgency with Micah Parsons. Solak says he's not going to get cheaper, so the right move would be to get a deal done now.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"Well, it sure would be nice if the Cowboys would just do the obvious thing and hand Parsons a massive extension. He already deserves it, he's going to deserve it even more after this upcoming season and -- as is always the case in the NFL -- he isn't going to get any cheaper next offseason. Let's just get this done already." — Solak, ESPN

Dallas still needs to add talent at wide receiver, cornerback, nose tackle, and running back, which they will likely do in the 2025 NFL Draft. Even with those needs, they added enough talent during the offseason that they shouldn't have to reach.

That might not seem like much, but compared to 2024, it's quite the change.

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