FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys know how to win in free agency. But are they willing to flex that brain muscle as the 2025 NFL season approaches?
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who turns 83 in October, is the epitome of "been there and done that''when it comes to NFL wheeling and dealing. In the 1990's, under his direction, Dallas literally helped shape the rules and pushed the boundaries of the new concept called "free agency.''
Jerry went "wild-cattin','' as we've come to call it.
Took risks. Rolled dice. Spent big.
The results of not doing so over the course of the last 12-plus years? Cap balance. Near-contention. No majestic playoff run in any way reminiscent of what once was, when in the 90's Jerry's Cowboys qualified for four straight NFC Championship Games and won three Super Bowls.
How good was it? And can it ever be that good again?
Let's look back ... at our Top Five All-Time Cowboys Free Agency Moves ... with the hope that maybe the Joneses will remind themselves of the rewards of risk ...
5. Leonard Davis, 2007 – Right guard started all 16 games, made the Pro Bowl, second-team All-Pro and helped a record-setting offense lead Dallas to a 13-3 record before making two more Pro Bowls.
4. Terrell Owens, 2006 – Despite an icy relationship with Bill Parcells, his production on the field was undeniable to the tune of three 1,000-yard receiving seasons and double-digit touchdowns.
3. Jay Novacek, 1990 – A converted H-back from the Arizona Cardinals, the "Plan B free agent'' made five Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls as Troy Aikman’s security blanket.
2. Nate Newton, 1986 – Signed after his time as a Tampa Bay Bandit when the USFL folded, he battled his weight and finally arrived to help anchor one of the best offensive lines in NFL history while making six Pro Bowls, winning three Super Bowl rings and annually paving the way for all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith.
1. Deion Sanders, 1995 – If you can’t beat ’em, steal ’em. After losing to him and the San Francisco 49ers in the ’94 NFC Championship Game, the Cowboys signed him and won the ensuing Super Bowl as he blanketed receivers, returned punts and even caught passes on offense. In five years in Dallas he lived up to the hype, making four Pro Bowls, recording 14 interceptions and scoring eight touchdowns on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Deion, really is the hallmark of what once was. The move and the money were as controversial as the player himself.
Fast-forward to today. The Cowboys presently have $32 million in cap room, with a coming signing of Micah Parsons figuring to create another $11 million or so. They are chasing the Eagles and the Commanders in the NFC East.
A bold move or two might get them there.
Jerry and Stephen Jones know this. They've lived it.
Cowboys Nation wishes they'd live it again.