This is exactly what the Cowboys needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere won\u2019t be negotiations on a long-term deal,\u201d Stephen Jones said.<\/p>\n
It was another perfect\u00a0only\u00a0with the Cowboys moment where contract negotiations have become a never-ending story.<\/p>\n
In 2023, All-Pro right guard Zack Martin<\/a> held out of a portion of training camp looking to renegotiate his contract. In 2024, the talks surrounded the futures of\u00a0Dak Prescott<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0CeeDee Lamb<\/a>\u00a0with the Pro Bowl wide receiver missing most of training camp before an extension was reached. Prescott\u2019s record $60 million annual deal would be agreed to on the morning of the season opener.<\/p>\n And then last year, the mess that surrounded\u00a0Micah Parsons<\/a>\u2018 contract saga that eventually saw the All-Pro pass rusher traded to the\u00a0Green Bay Packers<\/a>\u00a0a week before the 2025 season started.<\/p>\n It all pointed to more drama in 2026.<\/p>\n But Pickens, who will make $27.3 million on the tag, attended the mandatory minicamp in June and said he will not hold out of training camp. July 15, the deadline for Pickens to sign a long-term extension, came and went with\u00a0barely a note<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was like a balloon that flitters away when the air is released. The potential of drama was gone.<\/p>\n Things to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n New line of defense<\/p>\n It\u2019s a new year, and it\u2019s a brand-new defense under new coordinator Christian Parker<\/a>. And while there is quite a bit we can pull from his press availabilities about how much the unit will see change, it\u2019s tough to truly envision it until it hits the field.<\/p>\n How has he solved the communication problems that plagued the unit last season? How will the 3-4 scheme find consistent pressure? Who will hold the bulk of the responsibilities in the secondary? Those questions might not get full answers in Oxnard, but the on-field product that we will see will offer a ton of insight into the unit that Parker has constructed over the past six months.<\/p>\n Personnel-wise, there are a lot of new faces with things to prove. Rashan Gary was traded<\/a> from the only NFL team he\u2019s known (Green Bay<\/a>) in April. Jalen Thompson<\/a> arrives with the biggest free agent contract in team history. Caleb Downs<\/a> walks into the NFL with sky-high expectations<\/a>, and fellow first-round pick Malachi Lawrence<\/a> will be looked at for a premium role as well. After poor linebacker play in 2025, Dee Winters<\/a> is back in DFW to see if he can be the solution in the middle<\/a>.<\/p>\n The expectations remain the same on offense. On defense, the level of play has to take a significant step forward. How far has it come? We\u2019ll at least get a head start on answering that question in the next month.<\/p>\n Patrik: It tickles me to see some people act as if this question is bold or unreasonable (I call that the \u201cCowboy Tax\u201d) when, in actuality, it\u2019s so reasonable that it almost earns a yawn from me. Let\u2019s talk facts here, or science, if you will. Prescott is an All-Pro quarterback that has been at the front of the NFL MVP conversation not once or twice, but\u00a0three times\u00a0over the last five seasons \u2014 to the point where there\u2019s a contingent that argues he should\u2019ve won the honor over Lamar Jackson<\/a> in 2023.<\/p>\n So, can Prescott be a legitimate MVP candidate again when the 2026 season rolls around? Yes, and yes again. He\u2019s at the top of his game. He\u2019s got weapons galore. He\u2019s got an offensive play-caller that invites fresh ideas and proved he can call a No. 1 offense. If the Cowboys\u2019\u00a0defense\u00a0plays up to expectation under Christian Parker, or at least above average, Prescott\u2019s play won\u2019t be wasted with a playoff-less campaign or early postseason exit and, then and only then, will the world be willing to give the former fourth-round pick his credit \u2026 following a playoff run that requires both sides of the team to show up every week and not just Prescott and the offense. (*yawns*)<\/p>\n Former\u00a0Dallas Cowboys<\/a>\u00a0and recently retired quarterback Will\u00a0Grier will join the team as an offensive assistant coach, a person familiar with the move\u00a0confirmed to\u00a0The Dallas Morning News<\/a>.<\/p>\n Grier had briefly re-signed with the Carolina Panthers<\/a> this offseason before ultimately deciding to retire earlier this month. The Cowboys actually had interest in adding Grier to the coaching staff this offseason before he signed with the Panthers. The offer, it appears, still stood.<\/p>\n