Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports The Dallas Cowboys have a handful of the top players set to hit free agency this offseason. One of the most sure signs of the offseason’s arrival, in case you did not feel like it was fully here yet, is the unveiling of a particular list. NFL.com has a top 101 free agents list that drops around this time every year, something that Gregg Rosenthal has been doing for a long time now. The list is exactly what it sounds like. From top to bottom there are 101 names listed and ranked with the “best” free agents being listed at the top. Obviously there is some positional importance involved here and the list could be weighted differently based on different team needs. The Dallas Cowboys were among the more average teams in the league last year at their best and among the very worst when things were truly bottoming out. In spite of this, they still have a handful of players in the top 101. The Cowboys have 5 players in NFL.com’s top 101 free agents list It should come as no surprise to learn that this year’s top 101 free agents list from NFL.com features defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa front and center. He is inside of the top 10, squarely so at number seven. Odighizuwa is far from the only Cowboys players ranked, though. Dallas Cowboys on NFL.com’s top 101 free agents list 7: DT Osa Odighizuwa 48: DE DeMarcus Lawrence 65: RB Rico Dowdle 69: CB Jourdan Lewis 91: DL Chauncey Golston Before this week’s NFL combine even started formally there was already a report that the Cowboys have begun to have contract negotiations with the aforementioned Odighizuwa. Time will obviously tell as to whether or not they are able to get something done there. In that same report, Stephen Jones was also cited as saying that the franchise would like to keep Rico Dowdle and Jourdan Lewis. There is a little bit of an assessment involved with DeMarcus Lawrence though as he is longer in the tooth than anybody else listed. Consider that his fellow draft classmate Zack Martin is set to retire from the NFL as context in that sense (Martin would have surely been on this list if not for that). Word from the Cowboys so far is that they plan on being more involved this year (define that how you will) with the disposition being titled as “selectively aggressive.” This mentality is necessary not only with regards to external free agency, but with your own players who are set to hit the market as well. Consider last year’s top 101 list from Rosenthal as an example. These were the players who the Cowboys had on it at the time and what happened as a result. 13: Tyron Smith (New York Jets) 25: Stephon Gilmore (Minnesota Vikings) 54: Tony Pollard (Tennessee Titans) 57: Dorance Armstrong (Washington Commanders) Tyler Biadasz and Dante Fowler were not listed on last year’s list, but they were also free agents departing the Cowboys who ultimately wound up elsewhere. The overall point here is that the Cowboys retained literally none of their own players on this particular list. This isn’t to say the list is some guidebook that must be followed, but looking at last year’s results is helpful context. For what it’s worth, both Tyron Smith and Stephon Gilmore have found themselves on the list again this year. Smith is at number 88 while Gilmore is at 75. Some, arguably the Cowboys, would offer that this serves as a perfect example as to the perils of free agency and why paying for something is such a risk. Whatever the case may be, there are a number of players on the Cowboys roster that merit serious discussion for returns.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The latest Cowboys news What is it like inside the Cowboys’ combine interview room? – Todd Archer, ESPN The combine has arrived. At some point in the next few days, a video memory will pop up on Jake Ferguson’s cell phone, as it has every February since 2022. It’s a video he took at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, zooming in and out on a Cowboys hat, a couple of months before the Dallas Cowboys took the Wisconsin tight end in the fourth round. “I was like, ‘I want to go to the Cowboys. I want to go to the Cowboys,’” Ferguson said. “I was manifesting it, and I walked in the [combine interview] and I was like, ‘OK.’ I remember smiling at Coach [Mike] McCarthy, too. But I walked in and I was like, ‘All right, this feels like home.’” That year, Ferguson was one of 45 players formally interviewed by the Cowboys at the combine inside a suite at Lucas Oil Stadium. It lasted 18 minutes, hardly enough time to get to know everything about somebody, but enough to want to know somebody more — or maybe less. Ideally, these interviews serve as a checklist as to whether the Cowboys want to bring the player in for one of their critical top-30 visits. In Ferguson’s case, the Cowboys got all the answers they needed in the interview process and were not compelled to bring him to The Star for a visit. Open Market: Using free agency to solidify Cowboys at offensive tackle – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com Is it possible Tyron Smith could make a return? What’s Out There: Note: These players will be unrestricted on March 13, barring a newly-signed deal with their incumbent team prior to that date, and legal tampering can not begin until March 11. Tyron Smith: I mean, who’d say no? I’m sure someone would, but hear me out. Smith, a Cowboys’ legend and future first-ballot Hall of Famer was able to stay on the field for the New York Jets for a total of 10 starts in 2024. That’s more than enough to justify bringing him back to Dallas to finish his illustrious career and to begin the best possible mentoring program for Guyton as well. Having probably one more year left in his tank, Smith will consider all of his options and returning to a Jets team that is back to square one at quarterback and head coach, or picking up and moving to a third city in as many years with the mileage he has on his frame — versus returning home to an ovation by the fanbase — feels like an easy call … at least to me, anyway. Of the veterans set to his free agency this year, Smith makes the most sense, including financially, with a market value of roughly $7 million (per Spotrac), so bring the cyborg home. Is DeMarcus Lawrence’s time with the Dallas Cowboys coming to an end? – Calvin Watkins, DMN DeMarcus Lawrence could have played his last game as a Dallas Cowboy. The Cowboys could be on the verge of losing another long-tenured player. DeMarcus Lawrence, a 2014 second-round pick, will become an unrestricted free agent this spring. On the surface, it appears the 32-year-old will play for someone else in 2025. Cowboys officials plan on meeting with Lawrence’s agent, David Canter, this week during the NFL scouting combine to figure out his plans. However, the Cowboys have younger defensive ends Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland ready to start opposite Micah Parsons. Williams is coming off a torn ACL suffered in training camp and Kneeland missed five games with a knee injury. Cowboys officials like the upside with both players. Kneeland, in 11 games, had 14 tackles and three quarterback hits. Also, Carl Lawson, a seven-year veteran, is a free agent and the Cowboys could retain him with a one-year deal. Last season, Lawson had 15 tackles, five sacks and 15 quarterback hits. “We’ll have more discussions this week,” Cowboys co-owner and COO Stephen Jones said. “I don’t want to get out in front or assume anything one way or the other with D-Law. He can speak to that. That’s where we like to leave it just as Zack spoke for himself when he was going to retire. We’ll have the same respect for DeMarcus Lawrence. I’m not aware of anything right now, other than he’s playing.” Raiders’ Pete Carroll ‘glad’ to aid Cowboys’ Jerry Jones process in hiring Brian Schottenheimer as head coach – Garrett Podell, CBS Sports A little insight on hiring Brian Schottenheimer. Carroll, who returned to the NFL Scouting Combine as the new head coach of the Raiders, explained what he told Jones and how he was excited that he was able to help his former pupil secure his first NFL head-coaching job. “He is ready. He’s been waiting for this opportunity for a number of years,” Carroll said, via transcript, on Tuesday. “He’s been ready for some time. I just told him all of the positive stuff about Brian. The stuff we’ve been through together and the confidence I had in him. Trying to reassure him. It sounded like he was really in a good position to get that job. I was trying to help Jerry feel good about it, too. He was starting to get ready for it. I was glad I had a chance to help him.” Schottenheimer himself expanded on how Carroll challenged and pushed him to expand his offensive playbook to keep up with NFC West rivals like Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan back when he worked for the Super Bowl champion head coach. “Going to Seattle was, I would say was critical to my development as a coach. Pete Carroll challenged me in a number of ways,” Schottenheimer said at his introductory press conference. “He challenged me to be authentic, to continue to dive into the relationships that

Brad Penner-Imagn Images The latest news from around the divison. Matthew Stafford trade rumors: Steelers, Giants among teams eyeing Rams QB, who wants huge raise, per reports – John Breech, CBS Sports New York has thrown their hat in the ring for the Rams’ quarterback. After just four seasons in Los Angeles, Matthew Stafford could be leaving the Rams. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback has been given permission to speak with other teams so that he can gauge what his value might be on the open market and it’s a move that could open the door for the 37-year-old to leave L.A. With Stafford now possibly available in a trade, several teams have already shown some interest in the Rams quarterback. The Steelers, Browns, Raiders and Giants are among the teams that have “thrown their hats in the ring,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Of course, showing interest in Stafford and actually acquiring him in a trade are two totally different things. As things currently stand, Stafford is set to make just $27 million from the Rams in 2025 and he wants a substantial raise, which has created a standoff because the Rams don’t want to commit a big chunk of money into an aging quarterback. Stafford is looking for a deal that would pay him roughly $50 million per year, According to NFL Media’s Peter Schrager. If a team wants to trade for Stafford, it will almost certainly be costly: Not only will they likely have to give him the raise he wants, but they’ll also have to send several draft picks back to the Rams. So can any of these interested teams afford him? Here’s how much available cap space each of the interested teams currently has (via OverTheCap): Giants ($48.4 million). Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen are both going to be under a lot of pressure to win this year and adding Stafford might be their best option to win in 2025. The Giants struck gold in the 2024 draft with receiver Malik Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., and this team could take a huge step forward if they can find the right quarterback. If the Rams are looking to land a high draft pick, the Giants could make the 34th overall pick part of the deal. Commanders’ GM Adam Peters is not desperate – Ivan Lambert, USA Today Sacrificing Washington’s future isn’t being taken into consideration. The NFL combine is upon us, and this is when teams begin to make personnel decisions for the following season. Remember three years ago when Pete Carroll, then with the Seattle Seahawks declared he had no intention of trading away his starting quarterback Russell Wilson? Next thing you know, a huge deal was being announced. Wilson was being sent to the Broncos, and Denver sent the Seahawks a boatload of draft picks. This causes Washington fans to recall that Ron Rivera and the Commanders were interested in Wilson. Aren’t you glad THAT deal was not executed? If so, Washington would have Wilson and would not have Jayden Daniels. In addition, the Commanders would be “out” of all of those draft choices sent to Denver in the deal. You may recall Rivera openly expressing how much he wanted a new quarterback and being open for business. Commanders Wire warned the fan base that Rivera and company must be careful not to appear desperate to make a deal. If they came across as too needy, they were going to get fleeced in a deal. And sure enough, the Colts got the better end of the deal for Carson Wentz. One thing the fan base can be certain of this year during the combine is that current Commander GM Adam Peters is not desperate and will not get fleeced in a deal. This is why I strongly doubt he will trade for Myles Garrett. Peters is not going to be desperate enough to fill a glaring need, only to create more needs by giving up too much in a trade. If Peters makes a deal, he will not give up too much of the future Commanders resources. However, he might surprise us by cutting a player or two to free up more salary cap space. Eagles Projected To Hit Jackpot With 21-Year-Old Linebacker – Patrick McAvoy, Sports Illustrated Philadelphia is expected to draft a defensive player at the end of the first round. The Philadelphia Eagles will have to wait awhile on the first night of the upcoming National Football League Draft before they can make their first pick unless they make a trade. Philadelphia took down the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX and currently has the No. 32 pick in the draft. The Eagles will have a chance to add some solid talent at the pick if they don’t trade it away. If they don’t move the pick, it could make sense to go defense. The Eagles have Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, and Zack Baun all going to free agency. It’ll be tough to keep all three around so adding a piece to help replace them could make sense. CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson and Mike Renner released a mock draft on the ”With the First Pick” podcast and projected the Eagles to select Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell at No. 32. “Ryan Wilson: ‘I think you can line Jihaad up all over the place,’” CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan shared. “He’s still 20 years old, I think, and he’s going to get bigger, stronger and faster, presumably.” Campbell would be a solid pickup for the Eagles’ defense. In 2024, he racked up 117 tackles in just 13 games to go along with five sacks, 12 tackles for loss, one interception, and one fumble recovery. He’s just 21 years old and could be a guy to help fill holes on the Eagles’ defense for the next few years if he’s available at No. 32.

Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images There are a handful of running back options for the Cowboys to consider exploring in the NFL Draft. It’s no secret that the Cowboys need a running back. Their leading rusher from 2024, Rico Dowdle, is a pending free agent and there just three running backs under contract for this new season: Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, and fullback Hunter Luepke. It’s also no secret that the running back position has been devalued over the last decade or so. Part of that is due to players exactly like Dowdle, who have proven that teams are correct in the belief that they can find high-end rushing production without investing premium capital – whether in the draft or free agency – into the position. Another reason for the decline in value at running back is the extremely short shelf life of top running backs. There is a very short list of running backs who remain elite once they turn 30 years old, and many running backs start to see a decline in on-field performance even before that age. With that in mind, it makes sense to target talented running backs with cost-controlled contracts (AKA drafting them outside of the first round) who are younger than the average NFL rookie. And, coincidentally, Dane Brugler of The Athletic has given us a list of targets for such a player: Nine prospects will be just 20-years-old on draft night: 20.61 RB Dylan Sampson20.66 Edge Nic Scourton20.72 RB LeQuint Allen20.76 TE Harold Fannin Jr.20.79 RB Trevor Etienne20.80 CB Azareye’h Thomas20.82 DL Mykel Williams20.82 DT Jordan Phillips20.96 TE Mason Taylor — Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 24, 2025 There are multiple prospects in this draft class who will be just 20 years old on draft night, and shortly beyond that, and three of them are running backs: Georgia’s Trevor Etienne, Syracuse’s LeQuint Allen, and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson. Etienne is the younger brother of current Jaguars running back Travis Etienne. While most scouts agree he isn’t as polished as his brother, a first-round pick back in 2021, the younger Etienne is still an exciting athlete who put up big numbers in college, first at Florida and then at Georgia. Injuries kept him from playing a full year in 2024, but Etienne topped 700 rushing yards in each of his two seasons with the Gators. Allen, on the other hand, is a multifaceted back who starred for the Orange each of the last two years. He broke 1,000 rushing yards last year and finished 24th in the nation is broken tackles. This year, he fell just short of the 1,000 yard mark but also unlocked his receiving skills, finishing fourth among all running backs in receiving yards. Allen also scored 20 total touchdowns between the ground and the passing attack. Then there’s Sampson, who gained notoriety for his elite open-field speed. Playing in the Volunteers’ unique offense marked by its extremely wide formations, Sampson finished eighth in both rushing yards and yards per carry this year. He also scored 22 rushing touchdowns, third-most in college football, and broke the school’s record for single season rushing scores, shattering a record that had stood for 96 years. All three of these running backs possess tantalizing traits and project to be really productive runners at the next level. However, the devaluing of the position and the loaded nature of this year’s draft class means the Cowboys can likely land any of these guys in the third round, if not later. The Cowboys would be wise to go after any of these three, in addition to signing a low-cost free agent option with some NFL experience. That way they could get the rookie acclimated to the league in their first year before promoting them to a primary role, knowing that they’ve got youth on their side from a developmental and longevity perspective.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images 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. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones says Dallas’ offseason plan is to be “selectively aggressive.” pic.twitter.com/CE1dNHUNFQ — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) February 24, 2025 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.