Cowboys’ Most Important Offseason Move Could Be the Key to Contending in 2026

The Dallas Cowboys were busy during NFL free agency, with a heavy focus on fixing their defense.

Dallas aimed to improve the secondary under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Additions like Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant, and P.J. Locke give them plenty of hope they can improve their pass defense. They also believe that Rashan Gary is an upgrade on the edge.

As much as those moves are expected to help, ESPN’s Ben Solak named an offensive move the most important. Solak said he loves the fact that Dallas used the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens. Solak says keeping him, CeeDee Lamb, and Dak Prescott together gives the Cowboys a chance to contend in 2026.

”Keeping Pickens on the tag. He would have made somewhere near $40 million per year in free agency. Instead, the Cowboys get another crack at a passing offense centralized on CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott and Pickens,” Solak wrote.

“Prescott generated 141.9 EPA on targeted passes (not throwaways) this past season, and Pickens and Lamb accounted for 67% of that output. The trio has a chance to be among the league's best. With a new defensive coordinator and an improved defensive depth chart, Dallas is a sneaky team to make a deep playoff run in this one-year window.”

Solak especially likes the price Dallas will pay for Pickens this season. The franchise tag will cost them $27.298 million this season, while Pickens might have commanded $40 million on the open market. It also allows them to see if Pickens can repeat the success he had in 2025 before handing out a long-term extension.

What if George Pickens is dominant again in 2026?

Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens during NFC practice at the NFL Flag Fieldhouse at Moscone Center South Building. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There are two potential drawbacks to using the tag on Pickens this season. The first, and most obvious, is that his entire salary is on the books for 2026. Of course, the Cowboys have made plenty of moves even with that being the case, so they don’t seem to be bothered by this.

The second issue is what happens if Pickens does succeed this season. Putting up another monster year will allow his asking price to skyrocket, which could put him out of range for an extension in Dallas.

That said, the Cowboys can still use the tag in 2027 and even if they don’t plan to sign him long-term, this allows them to orchestrate a trade and get something in return.

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