{"id":437418,"date":"2026-01-27T23:32:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T23:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/437418\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T23:32:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T23:32:11","slug":"will-mcclay-breaks-down-cowboys-approach-to-nfl-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/437418\/","title":{"rendered":"Will McClay Breaks Down Cowboys\u2019 Approach to NFL Free Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Dallas Cowboys <\/a>season ended without a playoff berth, but they believe they can make a run in 2026 as long as they fill a few holes.<\/p>\n

A huge part of that will take place in the\u00a0NFL draft<\/a>, and their scouting officially kicks into gear with the East-West Shrine Bowl at The Star in Frisco on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n

MORE: 5 Defensive NFL Draft Prospects for Cowboys to Watch in 2026 Shrine Bowl<\/a><\/p>\n

As important as the draft is, the Cowboys need to be even more active in free agency. Thankfully, vice president of player personnel Will McClay<\/a> understands how important that process is. While preparing for the Shrine Bowl, McClay discussed the team\u2019s process heading into free agency which he says is about finding \u201cthe right kind of guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

“We’ll go through the free agency period, there’s some good players out there,” McClay said. “We’ll have to figure out from a cap standpoint and all that stuff, but there are some good players out there. And we want to address it, but we want to address it the right way with the right kind of guys,\u201d McClay said via Tommy Yarrish<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Once we get the full staff together, and we’ll get a lot of experience from different places that will give us input on players that they’ve coached before, coached against, so it just adds to it and we’ll find the right guys if we’re able to do some things in free agency.”<\/p>\n

Dallas will fill holes in free agency to set up the NFL draft \"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay (R) during practice at the Ford Center. | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

One thing Dallas did well in 2025 was to fill their biggest roster hole in free agency. By adding Javonte Williams, they avoided the need to reach for a running back. <\/p>\n

This year, they should employ a similar approach. The problem is that they have multiple holes, all throughout their defense.<\/p>\n

MORE: Cowboys Legend Weighs in on Christian Parker Hiring<\/a><\/p>\n

Ideally, Dallas will find capable starters at linebacker, EDGE, and safety to avoid entering the draft with a glaring hole.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t need to find their long-term answer, or even a Pro Bowl-caliber player at each spot. But if they can simply add players they feel comfortable starting, they\u2019ll be free to use their two picks in Round 1 on the best available players regardless of position.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u00a0Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter\u00a0<\/a>for more free coverage from\u00a0Dallas Cowboys on SI<\/a>\u00a0\u2014<\/p>\n

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