The Cowboys enter free agency with 15 unrestricted free agents, four restricted free agents and two exclusive rights free agents.
At the top of the list of players the Cowboys need to bring back for the 2026 season are receiver George Pickens and kicker Brandon Aubrey.
Pickens is going to command a large contract, and so could Aubrey. However, Aubrey is a restricted free agent, so the Cowboys could place a first- or second-round tender on him to retain his services. Pickens is another story.
Here are five free agents the Cowboys should try to keep:
Cowboys
Jadeveon Clowney, DE: He was signed two weeks into the season and led the team with 8 1/2 sacks. He’s a valuable veteran who gained instant respect in the locker room for his work on and off the field. If he returns, he’ll be 33. What kind of value do you place on that for a player who should be a third-down specialist but emerged as a starter on a bad defense in 2025?
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Javonte Williams, RB: He set career-highs in nearly every category for a running back: attempts (252), yards (1,201), rushing touchdowns (11) and yards from scrimmage (1,338). A two- or three-year deal is reasonable for Williams, and if Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah progress in Year 2, you might have a respectable running back room.
George Pickens, WR: The Pro Bowler set career highs with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. What was impressive was his 67.9% catch rate. Now his lateness to meetings, missing the team bus for a game and questions about effort are things you can’t ignore. But he’s with the right team that embraces all of his quirks.
Brandon Aubrey, K: Aubrey is considered one of the best kickers in the league. He needs another category for his attempts: 60-plus yards. Last year, he was 3-4 in that range and he made a field goal in every game. The range he presents is unreal and he’s got some leverage in contract talks. Yet, the team could place a first-round tender on him, giving him a projected $7.8 million deal, or a second-round tender at $5.6 million. The highest average salary for a kicker is held by the Chiefs’ Harrison Butker ($6.4 million), but Aubrey is looking for something long-term.
Jalen Tolbert, WR: The emergence of Ryan Flournoy pushed Tolbert down the depth chart. He enters free agency coming off a down season (18 catches for 203 yards and one touchdown) but re-signing him to a one-year deal might prove useful for depth at the position.
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