March 13, 2026, 8:20 a.m. MT
The spinning free agency carousel has slowed a bit after a frantic first two days, and while the Dallas Cowboys got some help at safety and got cheaper at defensive tackle, they missed out on the first crop of linebackers and edge rushers.
So what’s left at linebacker? There is one linebacker left on a list of top 50 free agents still on the board.
The Cowboys have 30 official visits with draftable rookies-to-be, and Dallas just used on on, wait for it … a top wide receiver prospect projected to go in a place in the draft where the Cowboys have no picks. Not much happened on the second day of the official league season, it all sped by on the first, but here is what Dallas is doing.
Dallas Cowboys free agency rumors
Table of Contents
The Cowboys began free agency by signing safety Jalen Thompson from the Arizona Cardinals, safety PJ Locke from the Denver Broncos, defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia from the San Diego Chargers and quarterback Sam Howell from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Thursday night, they signed offensive lineman Matt Hennessy from the Atlanta Falcons and cornerback Cobie Durant from the Los Angeles Rams.
They have yet to lose anyone to free agency, though there are conflicting reports that offensive lineman Brock Hoffman is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That would explain the addition of Hennessy.
Cobie Durant stats
The 28-year-old fourth-year pro Cobie Durant has spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Rams. The cornerback is coming off a year where he had a career-high three interceptions and matched a career high with 40 tackles.
With Trevon Diggs gone, Da’Ron Bland coming off injury, and Shavon Revel playing half of a season after coming off injury, this fills a major need for Dallas.
The deal is reported to be one year for $5.5 million.
Cowboys free agency rumors
Dallas’ biggest need through free agency at the moment is linebacker and the Cowboys failed to land one of the top tier names there. ESPN’s Matt Bowen has a ranking of the top 50 free agents still unclaimed and the linebackers are, No. 16 on the list Dre Greenlaw from the Denver Broncos and No. 28 Bobby Wagner from the Washington Commanders.
Greenlaw has since signed with his old team, the San Francisco 49ers.
Of Wagner, Bowen writes: “Wagner’s 9.5 tackles per game ranked sixth overall in 2025, showing he can still key quickly and rack up run stops. He does have limitations in coverage at this stage of his career, but he would add a veteran voice and early-down production to any NFL defense.”
Omar Cooper
The Dallas Cowboys are allowed 30 official in-person visits with draft prospects at their facilities and are spending one on one of the top receivers in the draft, Indiana’s Omar Cooper.
The broad assumption is that Cooper will go anywhere from late first round to early third, with a consensus landing him somewhere in middle of the second round. Dallas has no second-round picks and receiver seems to be a low priority, particularly for a top pick.
Possibilities include they think somehow he’ll slip to their 92nd pick, which is extraordinarily improbable, or they are making plans for a post-George Pickens (after 2026) future and are thinking about getting a future No. 2 receiver with that No. 20 pick.
No explanations make much sense other than someone in the organization likes Cooper.
Dallas Cowboys roster
The Dallas Cowboys roster includes 59 active players 17 free agents. The complete Dallas Cowboys roster is here.
Quarterbacks
15 Will Grier
— Sam Howell QB
10 Joe Milton
4 Dak Prescott
Running backs
30 Israel Abanikanda
23 Jaydon Blue
43 Malik Davis
40 Hunter Luepke
FB 37 Phil Mafah
33 Javonte Williams
Wide receivers
11 Parris Campbell
19 Ryan Flournoy
80 Traeshon Holden
88 CeeDee Lamb
81 Jonathan Mingo
9 KaVontae Turpin
Tight ends
87 Jake Ferguson
86 Luke Schoonmaker
89 Brevyn Spann-Ford
Offensive linemen
56 Cooper Beebe C
52 Tyler Booker RG
69 Ajani Cornelius RT
60 Tyler Guyton LT
79 Marcellus Johnson RT
76 Trevor Keegan LG
61 Nick Leverett G
73 Tyler Smith LG
78 Terence Steele RT
71 Nathan Thomas LT
Defensive linemen
95 Kenny Clark DT
— Rashan Gary DE
53 James Houston
DE 91 Isaiah Land
DE 96 Adedayo Odeleye
DE — Otito Ogbonnia DT
93 Jay Toia DT
— Tyrus Wheat DE
92 Quinnen Williams DT
54 Sam Williams DE
Defensive backs
14 Markquese Bell SS
26 DaRon Bland CB
25 Trikweze Bridges CB
31 Josh Butler CB
21 Caelen Carson CB
48 Zion Childress CB
38 Alijah Clark S
28 Malik Hooker FS
— P.J. Locke SS
34 Shavon Revel CB
27 Reddy Steward CB
— Jalen Thompson FS
32 Julius Wood S
Special teams
5 Bryan Anger P
44 Trent Victory LS
Impending free agents (FA)
75 Hakeem Adeniji RT
36 Corey Ballentine CB
42 Jadeveon Clowney DE
13 Dante Fowler DE
29 C. J. Goodwin CB
67 Brock Hoffman C
65 Robert Jones RG
59 Kenneth Murray OLB
3 George Pickens WR (Franchise)
57 Jack Sanborn MLB
24 Miles Sanders RB
2 Juanyeh Thomas FS
1 Jalen Tolbert WR 98
Payton Turner DE
6 Donovan Wilson SS
Restricted free agents (RFA)
17 Brandon Aubrey K
66 T. J. Bass RG
George Pickens
Dallas has put a franchise tag on receiver George Pickens that will pay him a one-year deal worth $27.3 million, a prelude to negotiations for a long-term deal. That just got harder.
Per ESPN’s Todd Archer, Indianapolis agreed to a four-year contract extension with receiver Alec Pierce, which averages $29 million per year — so more than Pickens makes.
What Archer writes should sober up Cowboys fans: “Alec Pierce — 64 games, 157 catches, 2,934 yards, 17 TDs — $29m/year on max value
“George Pickens — 65 games, 267 catches, 4,270 yards, 21 TDs — $27.3m (franchise tag)
“What would the average per season on a multi-year deal for Pickens look like?”
Translation: More than $30 million.
At any rate, Pickens is signed for another year, assuming no other team goes after him and Dallas would rather have compensatory picks, so mark the calendar down for March, 2027 when this leads all the news again.
Another thing to note. Dallas just paid safety PJ Locke $5 million for one year, which is perceived as a bit of an overpayment. He is represented by agent David Mulugheta, who also represents Pickens (and Micah Parsons).
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
