Dallas

Cowboys

Perhaps even more importantly, Jones added, “the most important thing is live in the present.” Inspirational words from the co-owner of a team who seemingly botched its last big-time negotiation with a superstar less than a year ago. Pickens was officially franchise tagged by the Cowboys on Friday and will earn just under $28 million on the tag if he is unable to secure a long-term deal. Jones said Pickens was “fired up” to learn he would be returning to the Cowboys for next season. We’ll see if he maintains that same enthusiasm if a long-term deal isn’t in place as training camp draws closer.

Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones hinted at tagging Pickens earlier this week but didn’t entirely commit to the idea, despite things clearly heading in that direction. While it’s possible the Cowboys will attempt to sign Pickens to a long-term extension later this offseason, they could also look to deal him for draft pick compensation in the coming weeks or force him to play out the year on the tag, which will guarantee him just under $28 million this season. Pickens finally showed his fully potential in 2025 after being traded to the Cowboys. He posted career highs in receptions (93), receiving yards (1,429), and receiving touchdowns (9), while looking every bit like a true No. 1 receiver despite playing opposite CeeDee Lamb.

ESPN’s Todd Archer reports Smith should be ready for offseason activities in April following the knee procedure. The Pro Bowl left guard gutted it out through the knee injury for much of the 2025 season. Pro Football Focus graded Smith 31st among guards in pass blocking last season. He ranked top-5 among guards in run blocking grade. The Cowboys last year made Smith, their 2022 first round pick, the NFL’s highest paid interior offensive lineman.

The Cowboys have already offered Aubrey the league’s highest-paid kicker contract. Watkins reports the 30-year-old “was offered a deal with an average salary just under $7 million but is looking for nearly $10 million per season.” Despite exceeding Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s $6.4 million average annual salary with this contract offer, the Cowboys are still below Aubrey’s desired number. He has one first-team All-Pro and two second-team All-Pro selections over the last three years, a resume certainly worth demanding the highest kicker salary in the league. The Cowboys can still place a first- or second-round tender on Aubrey if an extension does not happen.

And it’s still not enough, as Hill writes that Aubrey “wants more than they offered.” That is how contract talks be sometimes. The Cowboys have the right to tender Aubrey a deal as a restricted free agent and seem to be in no real danger of losing the kicker, but they’ve been trying to get him extended for a solid calendar year and still don’t seem to have the right number to do it.

This could be a big nothing burger, but Jones said the team is “open-minded” to the idea of trading a pick. The Cowboys currently hold the No. 12 and No. 20 overall picks in this year’s draft, but have plenty of needs to address with those picks, especially on the defensive side of the ball. As is often the case in these situations, anything can be had for the right price. We’ll see if anything piques the Cowboys’ interest as offers are likely to come in their direction in the coming weeks.

All signs have pointed to the Cowboys tagging Pickens before the deadline to do so, but whether that results in him staying with the team on a long-term deal remains in question. Jones said the team thinks “the world” of Pickens and wants him to stay a Cowboy, but declined to comment on when an extension could get done. Pickens enjoyed a career year in 2025, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns — all career-highs. His pairing with CeeDee Lamb made for one of the most dynamic receiver duos in the league, but for the right price, it’s possible the Cowboys opt to tag and then trade Pickens for draft picks to improve their roster elsewhere. We’ll have a better sense on where things are headed after Pickens is tagged, but things could be setting up for a long offseason of negotiations.

The Cowboys are currently expected to use the franchise tag on Pickens. While a tag-and-trade scenario is possible, Watkins adds that “both sides have mutual interest in the star receiver returning.” Star players have had contentious negotiations with the Cowboys’ front office in recent seasons, including QB Dak Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb and EDGE Micah Parsons, who was ultimately traded to the Packers. A speedy resolution would allow Pickens to join his teammates for offseason training without injury-related contract concerns looming overhead. And a more typical Cowboys resolution would leave us questioning if Pickens will even be on the team in August, putting a black cloud over his potential fantasy value.

Aubrey’s agent, Todd France, and the Cowboys have been in talks “for some time,” and Cowboys owner Stephen Jones confirmed that the two sides have been exchanging contract offers. Jones is seemingly intent on keeping Aubrey, saying the Cowboys will “tender him before the deadline” if they have to. Aubrey has earned Pro Bowl honors in each of the last three seasons. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and was a second-team All-Pro in 2024 and 2025.

The deal includes $16 million in guaranteed money and ties the veteran back to the Cowboys through the 2028 season. Coming off a career year, Williams remains with the Cowboys after playing the 2025 season on a one-year, “prove it” deal. The value on the contract is the same as was recently signed by Bears running back D’Andre Swift, making Williams the 16th highest paid back in the league on an average annual value basis. Expect Williams to enter the 2026 regular season as a borderline workhorse after handling 252 carries and seeing 51 targets in 16 healthy games a season ago.