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Jerry Jones Makes Dallas Cowboys' NFL Free Agency Vision Clear

The Dallas Cowboys could be uncharacteristically aggressive during NFL free agency, with Jerry Jones vowing to take a different approach.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones speaks with referee Adrian Hill before a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones speaks with referee Adrian Hill before a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jerry Jones' mantra for the Dallas Cowboys has been consistent with NFL free agency around the corner. According to Jones, he plans to "bust the budget" on the open market to help the Cowboys return to the postseason after missing the playoffs the past two years.

Over the weekend, the team restructured several major contracts to free up $66 million in salary cap space, giving the team more flexibility when it comes to spending.

At the NFL Combine this week, Jones discussed his approach to the offseason and made it clear that he plans to spend heavily on the defensive side of the ball.

With new defensive coordinator Christian Parker implementing a new, versatile scheme, it will be crucial for the team to add players who can help transition and head in its new direction.

"First of all, I want you to know that the only way to push more is for me to go borrow some of my future," Jones told reporters on his bus in Indianapolis. "Okay, so that's one representation that you're thinking of now as opposed to in the future. But I look at things, frankly, beyond that.

"I look at where we are with Dak, and I look at where he is in his career. And I look at some of the pluses that we have on our front and what we think we can do there, and what we can do with Pickens and Lamb, and what we can do with our running back that we just signed. And so all of those things, I want to do everything we possibly can to stop somebody. and to basically win some third downs more than we did last year. And so I think that would be the area that you would see me bust the budget. Whoever said that earlier. That's where you would see me do that is what we're doing defensively.

Jones then doubled down on his commitment to spending on defense, which should be music to everyone's ears. "I would expect anybody that's a Cowboy fan or a critic of the Cowboys to say, 'duh. That's not hard to see Jerry to do,' but I guess what I'm doing is saying yes, I intend to do that if given the opportunity."

Of course, we've heard talk a big game in the past, so it will be interesting to see if he is actually willing to spend and opens up the checkbook to sign some outside impact free agents. As long as Jones is willing to spend, the team has a great opportunity to take a big step forward in 2026.

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JOSH SANCHEZ

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