The Cowboys are getting ready for free agency.<\/p>\n
With\u00a0NFL<\/a>\u00a0free agency set to begin on March 11, the\u00a0Dallas Cowboys<\/a>\u00a0have made a few notable restructures this Saturday.<\/p>\n The Cowboys cleared $6.5 million in cap space last week by releasing Logan Wilson. They acquired the veteran linebacker prior to the trade deadline this past season. That move left the Cowboys at roughly $30 million over the cap. Well, that\u2019ll no longer be the case.<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter announced that Dallas restructured the contracts of quarterback\u00a0Dak Prescott<\/a>, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and offensive guard Tyler Smith this Saturday. Those moves will clear up $66 million in cap space, which should put \u201cAmerica\u2019s Team\u201d in prime position to spend big this offseason.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Cowboys will restructure the contracts of QB Dak Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb and G Tyler Smith, which will create $66 million of room,\u201d\u00a0Schefter said<\/a>. \u201cJerry Jones<\/a>\u00a0said the Cowboys will rework the contracts of DTs Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa, who are scheduled to count around $63 million against the cap.\u201d<\/p>\n Dallas Vice President of Personnel explains why focusing on traits only is a recipe for disaster.<\/p>\n The Dallas Cowboys, like every other NFL team, was in attendance in Indianapolis this past week for the annual NFL scouting combine festivities. In what has been often referred to as \u201cthe Underwear Olympics\u201d, the combine allows teams to accurately measure, interview, and drill willing participants. Since college programs can\u2019t always be trusted to deliver accurate information, this process is extremely important to NFL teams as they gauge key traits.<\/p>\n Cowboys VP of Player Personnel, Will McClay,\u00a0recent spoke with 105.3 The Fan<\/a>\u00a0to offer some insights into the draft process and how he deals with issues like traits, plainly stating, \u201ctraits get you in trouble.\u201d It\u2019s easy to think of recent examples of traits getting the Cowboys in trouble. In 2017 they drafted Taco Charlton over T.J. Watt and traits were a big reason why. Even though Charlton was more projection than Watt, he had the more translatable size and skillset. A mistake was made.<\/p>\n In 2023 the Cowboys chased traits again, drafting someone from the top of Bruce Feldman\u2019s Freaks List, Mazi Smith. His traits trumped the film and the Cowboys paid dearly for it. These hard lessons are likely what led to McClay adding, \u201ctraits are nothing if you don\u2019t know what to do with them.\u201d<\/p>\n McClay didn\u2019t imply in any way traits weren\u2019t important. He values testing as much anyone it seems. He simply added a caveat to things when he stated players needed to know what to do with their traits. In the case of Smith, he was a supremely unique blend of size, speed and athleticism who could never put things together. Traits without supporting film don\u2019t work, just like film without supporting traits doesn\u2019t work. For instance: a college pass rusher who wins off the line through speed moves around the edge is primarily dependent on speed and explosiveness.<\/p>\n Pressure, pressure, and more pressure. The Cowboys shold have these edge rushers on their radar at the combine.<\/p>\n The NFL Scouting Combine is under way in Indianapolis, Indiana. Over the course of the next few days, there will be hundreds of prospects that run through drills, meet with teams, and dream of a future in the NFL. Among these, of course, are dozens of pass rushers who are hoping to prove that\u00a0modern games are no longer just about mechanics<\/a>.<\/p>\n They are about grit, hard work, and determination. No matter how one\u00a0spins<\/a>\u00a0it, multiple NFL teams need pass rushers who will get into opposing back fields, no matter what. These three prospects, in particular, will be interesting names to watch as the combine unfolds.<\/p>\n Keldric Faulk<\/p>\n Keldric Faulk, coming out of Auburn, is six-foot-six and 285 pounds, an impressive specimen for a 20-year-old. While he is still working with his hand work and needs to be more explosive at the point of attack, his body is NFL ready. His brute strength will help him get a start in the NFL and he will make some fine plays based on his raw ability alone. Expect Faulk to be selected late in the first round or early in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n Akheem Mesidor<\/p>\n Fresh off of winning a National Championship with Miami,\u00a0Ahkeem Mesidor<\/a>\u00a0is ready for the next step in his football career. The six-foot-three, 265-pound pass rusher is already 25 years old and has played four years of college ball. While strong and powerful, Mesidor may be undersized for many NFL teams. However, he plays the run game extremely well and can have some success on schemed-up plays that see him move inside to attack offensive guards.<\/p>\n Even though Dallas needs a linebacker they can risk it on this player.<\/p>\n Linebacker should be at or near the top of the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 offseason priority list. There are plenty of intriguing options\u00a0in both free agency and the draft<\/a>, but there\u2019s one name they should steer clear of: Green Bay Packers veteran Quay Walker.\u00a0The Packers drafted Walker back in 2022, and at one point, he looked to be one of the next premier players at his position. Now, Walker is an unrestricted free agent, and the Cowboys need to avoid him at all costs.<\/p>\n Walker\u2019s year-over-year decline in Pro Football Focus grades is hard to ignore. Even in 2024, it was a tale of two halves, as his average grade jumped 18% from 54.7 over his first eight games to 64.5 across the final six. That late surge doesn\u2019t completely erase the broader downward trajectory. And in 2025, Walker arguably had the least effective year of his career with a\u00a048.5 PFF grade<\/a>\u00a0that ranked 74th out of 88 players at his position. PFF numbers aren\u2019t exactly the make-or-break benchmark for a player, but this is all Cowboys fans need to see.<\/p>\n