The Dallas Cowboys may not have made all the moves fans wanted to see in the 2025 offseason, but they undeniably found some outstanding bargain value on both sides of the ball.
The Cowboys let go of some really popular players, but those departures created avenues for new fan favorites. One player who has quickly done his job to win over Cowboys fans early on is free agent pickup James Houston, a complete offseason afterthought for the rest of the NFL despite a solid history of production.
Former Cowboys pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence left for the Seahawks in free agency (and made a big deal about it), but the Cowboys have been better for it, thanks to the pass rush productivity of Houston.
James Houston has made the Cowboys quickly forget about DeMarcus Lawrence
NFL Splash Play leaders through Week 5:
Nik Bonitto has been worth that new contract so far in 2025. pic.twitter.com/qe0P7qDlvD
— Austin Mock (@amock419) October 7, 2025
Everyone loves to see a Cowboys player rank high on a chart like this, especially seeing a guy ranked above Micah Parsons at this point, but what is a "splash" play?
A splash play consists of sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions, pressures, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, passes defensed, or tackles on third/fourth down that prevent a first down.
So, to sum it up, James Houston has not only been good for the Cowboys, he's been clutch.
Houston has struggled with injuries since his rookie year back in 2022, where he had 8.0 sacks and 11 quarterback hits, but the talent has always been there, and the Cowboys took a calculated risk. And if you needed any indicator of the prowess of the pro scouting department and front office, the Cowboys actually stole Houston, not just on a one-year flyer, but a two-year deal worth less than $2.2 million in total money.
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Meanwhile, Lawrence is out there in Seattle on a three-year, $42 million deal and doesn't have a single sack so far this season.
Injuries obviously derail the value of certain players, just like we've seen on the offensive side of the ball with running back Javonte Williams after his last two years in Denver. But sometimes, a string of good luck with health and a change of scenery is all a player needs to rediscover himself.
For the Cowboys, this is a prime example of why you don't settle for whatever your perceived depth at a certain position group is. This is why you trust your pro scouting department. This is why you don't give up on young(er) players who have past history of top-tier production.
There are gems like James Houston available every offseason. Thankfully, the Cowboys were able to get him when they did, especially given the surprise trade of Micah Parsons.