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Schottenheimer looks to past stars to inspire Cowboys – Todd Archer, ESPN
What happens on the field matters most, but don’t overlook the culture-building of Brian Schottenheimer.
Time was running out and the Dallas Cowboys’ meeting room was getting louder and louder.
Joe Looney needed to make one more free throw to win the competition for the offense as 30 seconds ticked down to zero. And when he did? Chaos ensued.
“It was sick, man,” right tackle Terence Steele said. “Everyone was cheering. It was awesome. Everyone loves it.”
Never mind that Looney last played for the Cowboys in 2020 and the player he competed against, Bradie James, last played for them in 2011. There were bragging rights on the line.
The central theme to Brian Schottenheimer’s approach in his first year as the Cowboys’ head coach is “Compete Every Day.” It’s on the wall leading from the locker room to Ford Center. It’s on a wall in his office.
On May 30, Schottenheimer extended it to the former Cowboys as part of what they called “Legends Day,” when about 25 former players from different eras of Dallas history came to one of the organized team activities at The Star.
This wasn’t just about watching a little practice and grabbing a bite to eat.
They were in the team room for the meetings, which is why Looney and James were competing in the free throw shooting competition, just like the current players do. They were in the position meetings, too. They spoke to the current players, offering tips and mentorship. They watched the practice.
It was a way for Schottenheimer to bridge the generations of Cowboys and have current players meet some of the former players who helped build “America’s Team.”
12) Who needs to take a bigger leap – Guyton or Mazi? – Staff, DallasCowboys.com
This is a good question.
12) Most important leap – Guyton or Mazi?
Tommy: Mazi Smith. The Cowboys are going to need everything they can get out of their interior defensive line in 2025, and Smith taking the leap the Cowboys have been looking for would change the entire trajectory of the Cowboys’ defense. If they can stuff up the run in the middle between Smith and Osa Odighizuwa consistently, then things will already be faring better than they did last season for the Cowboys. With Guyton, there’s still help you can give him on the left side if he’s continuing to struggle, and depth behind him should there end up being a better option. In Smith’s case, there’s not many bodies on the roster that have NFL experience in his role, which makes things more difficult and makes his next step all the more important.
Kyle: Anytime a this-or-that question is brought up, my first response is to see how it affects the quarterback. That means Tyler Guyton is the most important leap for the Cowboys success in 2025. Does Mazi Smith still need to take big step forward? Absolutely. However, Guyton’s presence on the offensive line will dictate just how successful the re-vamp of the offensive line has been.
Dallas has taken a first-round offensive lineman in three of the last four NFL Drafts, with two of them being unproven as a pro. Guyton’s success could solidify the re-build, especially if Tyler Booker stands out as a rookie at the right guard spot. Should Guyton continue to sputter in his second year at left tackle, there will be questions of how to further protect Dak Prescott in the future, which could mean more premium draft picks used on the offensive line.
George Pickens should plug a hole in the Cowboys’ offense, but will he be a temporary fix? – Joseph Hoyt, DMN
The long-term part of the George Pickens trade is an unknown.
But how long will Pickens be here? He’s on the final year of his deal, meaning this season likely ends in two ways for the Cowboys. Either things don’t go as planned, and that need to grow up presents itself again, or things go so well that Pickens is likely to cash in on a major deal in free agency next offseason.
A potential contract comparison for Pickens is Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, who has developed into one of the best secondary receiving options in the NFL next to Ja’Marr Chase. Higgins signed a four-year, $115 million ($28.75 AAV) deal after he received the franchise tag for the second-straight season. A deal like that could net the Cowboys a third-round compensatory pick in the 2027 NFL draft, based on past contract history.
There’s always the potential for an extension or a potential franchise tag from the Cowboys, as well, but there are some problems with those approaches, too. The Cowboys are likely willing to let Pickens prove himself in 2025. If he does, then he won’t be the only one the Cowboys could have interest in bringing back. Cornerback DaRon Bland and tight end Jake Ferguson are among a long list of potential free agents after this season.
If Pickens departs, then the Cowboys will be stuck in the same position they were this offseason: looking for another wide receiver to complement Lamb.
Finding one won’t be easy.
Free agency is one option, but the Cowboys aren’t likely to find a player who fits the bill at the price they’re willing or allowed to pay. The Cowboys are slotted to have just over $5 million in cap space in 2026, though that should change after an extension for Micah Parsons and other salary cap moves are made. Even if the Cowboys opened up space, they’ve proven unwilling of late to go after the big-ticket free agents. The last time they signed an external free agent for more than $10 million annually over multiple years was cornerback Brandon Carr in 2012. Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin — currently seeking an extension — and Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans would likely command more than the Cowboys would be willing to spend.
NFL ‘Bag’ Hall of Fame: Players who maximized contract leverage – Bill Barnwell, ESPN
While Dak Prescott also makes this list, Deion Sanders’ story is really interesting.
After playing out an option year, Sanders left the Falcons in free agency. He spent 1994 playing baseball and going on an extended free agent tour, conducting “impromptu press conferences” at various stops. After the baseball season was waylaid by the players strike, he turned down a multiyear deal from the Saints and signed a one-year deal with the 49ers in mid-September, two weeks into the season. He promptly picked off six passes, returned three for touchdowns, won Defensive Player of the Year and added two more interceptions during San Francisco’s Super Bowl playoff run. Not bad for $1.3 million.
According to Sanders, the 49ers never offered him a deal to stay in San Francisco. He was instead forced to settle for their archrivals, who made him the highest-paid defender in league history. Again, he waited until after the season started to sign with the Cowboys. His seven-year, $35 million deal included a record $12.99 million signing bonus. For reference, the salary cap in 1995 was just $37.1 million; this is something like an elite cornerback signing a seven-year, $263.4 million deal with a $97 million signing bonus under the current cap.
The move inspired reverberations around the league. Teams complained to the league that Sanders’ deal and its large bonus circumvented the salary cap. Jerry Rice went on a tirade about how Sanders hadn’t won the Super Bowl for the 49ers. Emmitt Smith’s agent tried to use the Sanders contract to prevent the Cowboys from using the franchise tag to keep their star back. And Sanders delivered the goods. While he was limited to nine games in his debut season with the Cowboys, he suited up in the postseason and helped bring the Cowboys a Super Bowl title, his second in two years.
Four years later, Sanders signed another massive deal with the Cowboys; this time, a five-year pact for $51.4 million. This deal didn’t last quite as long, with the Cowboys cutting Sanders after one year to avoid triggering $23 million in guarantees for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. He then signed a seven-year, $56.1 million deal with Washington. But after earning $8.5 million for his first year in Washington (modern equivalent: $38.1 million), he chose to retire from football, returning $2.5 million of his signing bonus in the process.
