The Dallas Cowboys faced a must-win game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night, and they were up to the challenge. The Raiders are the furthest thing from a litmus test, but it says a lot that Dallas won convincingly on the road in its first game since the Marshawn Kneeland tragedy.
George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb took over the game after they were benched for the first series, and Quinnen Williams was the best player on the field for either team in his Cowboys debut. The win shone an even bigger spotlight on Pickens' looming free agency and the money Dallas has committed to the defensive tackle position in 2026
Jerry Jones was asked by 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday if he can build a proportionate roster while re-signing Pickens and having three DTs making over $60 million next year.
"Yes, yes," Jones said in what was his shortest answer of the interview.
Jerry Jones says Cowboys fan afford to extend George Pickens and keep all of their DTs
There goes Jerry selling hope again, though there is a lot of truth behind his answer. The Cowboys can technically afford to pay Pickens and keep Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, and Kenny Clark in 2026. It will take a lot of gymnastics to make it happen, however, as they are currently projected to be $46.77 million over the cap next season.
If Clark is going to be on the roster, the Cowboys will almost certainly part ways with Trevon Diggs and Terence Steele. Cutting both players with a post-June 1 designation would free up $29.5 million in cap space.
That won't be enough to get Dallas under the cap, so look for them to restructure Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, who have respective cap hits of $74 million and $38.6 million next year. Restructuring their deals would create $49.9 million in cap room.
RELATED:Dez Bryant just gave George Pickens a reality check over his Cowboys future
That would give them around $32 million in cap space, and they could add another $7 million to the pot by cutting Malik Hooker, who will be entering his age-30 season.
There's something to be said about having three Pro Bowl-caliber DTs on the roster. Yes, the Raiders' offensive line is arguably the worst in the NFL, but Williams, Odighizuwa, and Clark will wreak havoc against most teams. The Eagles won a Super Bowl last year building from the inside out with Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, and Moro Ojomo.
Keeping all three will limit Jones' ability to spend on other positions, and it will put more pressure on the front office to hit on both of its first-round picks in the 2026 draft. But it might be Dallas' best chance of fielding a stout defense next year since they're already on the team.
Of course, just because Jones said he can afford it in November doesn't mean he'll follow through once the offseason rolls around.