What “selectively aggressive” could look like for the Cowboys and their offseason plans

There is a lot to wonder about what “selectively aggressive” means for the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s NFL combine week and that means we’ll get to see this year’s college prospects participate in drills as teams prepare for the 2025 NFL Draft. But this week is also a time for communication. Coaches, GM’s, and agents will all be gathered together for one event and it provides a great time to have discussions about certain players.

It’s also a great time for people in power to meet with the media and provide people with some insight about their offseason plans. Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones made himself available to talk with the press and had some choice words. Particularly, two words – selectively aggressive.

Could the Cowboys take a different approach to their typically unexciting offseason roster-building repertoire? Selective sounds like the principle Stephen Jones lives by, but aggressive is a different animal.

We should preface this by stating that every year at this time the Cowboys are preaching a similar message. They will try to get better and do things they believe are needed to achieve that. Never once have they said, “We’re totally content with how good this football team is, so don’t expect much to change.” Regardless of the promises, the Cowboys typically stick to the script, which consists of limited free agent spending and all attention towards the draft.

That’s their approach and it’s far from aggressive. So what does Stephen mean when he’s talking about being selectively aggressive? Should we dare venture a guess?

SIGNING THEIR OWN

The front office is deliberate about who they choose to keep and who they are willing to let walk away in free agency. Many of their decisions come down to how difficult it is to replace their players. Tyler Biadasz isn’t a priority if they have a Brock Hoffman already on the roster. Dalton Schultz is free to go when Jake Ferguson is waiting in the wings. Even if a player has provided solid performance in Dallas, the front office will still let them go if they feel it wouldn’t be too hard to replace them.

Expect more of the same with the Cowboys this season. Players like Jourdan Lewis or Rico Dowdle may return, but only if their price is reasonable. The front office may make a little more concerted effort to keep certain players if it would otherwise leave a hole on the roster.

Where things could be different is Osa Odighizuwa. He’s not one of their Pro Bowlers. And he doesn’t play a premium position. However, he’s a good player who’s a valuable piece to the Cowboys defensive line. Last week, we mentioned that he was a little different than other free agents they have allowed to leave. The front office may work a little harder to secure a key asset, even if it costs them a little more than they originally budgeted for.

Prediction: Yes, that’s a very good possibility.

GETTING DEALS DONE EARLY

The front office is widely known for taking their own sweet time before ultimately signing their players. Last year, the extensions for CeeDee Lamb and especially Dak Prescott went down to the wire. Not much changed in the grand scheme of things as they still got the deals we expected them to get, but going down to the wire has just been the way the front office has operated lately.

Micah Parsons is the star player next in line for a big payday. The team doesn’t necessarily need to get a new deal done to free up money for free agency because they can simply just restructure some deals to accomplish the same thing. So, why should we expect things to be different this time around? If there is any truth to the notion that Parsons (and his agent) could be a little flexible with their negotiations, a deal the Joneses like could present itself much earlier. We shouldn’t hold our breath for this, but it’s certainly possible.

Prediction: Maybe. 50/50.

SIGNING OUTSIDE FREE AGENTS

Retaining their own players is great, and getting deals done earlier is nice for various reasons, but what fans really want is for them to be active spenders in free agency. When good players are out there who could fill some big holes on the roster, it’s hard not to be intrigued about a possible new acquisition.

This is where we might want to slow our roll because the Cowboys aren’t likely to be aggressive here. They know it’s a risky way to do business when it comes to building a roster, and the chances of them being swayed to change their stripes doesn’t seem realistic. That doesn’t mean they don’t open up the wallet a little bit more than usual to secure a player or two who helps strengthen the roster. Don’t expect a big name, but it might not be as cheap as it’s been in the past.

Prediction: Nah, who are they kidding? It’s just not the Cowboys’ way.