Jerry Jones
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Cowboys' executive Will McClay provided insight on the team's offseason strategy after Jerry Jones' "bust the budget" comments
The Dallas Cowboys are expected to be busy this offseason after enduring a disappointing 2025 campaign. With the team making the surprising decision to trade away superstar defender Micah Parsons right before the start of the season, the Cowboys never truly recovered, and it resulted in them missing the playoffs entirely.
Expectations are high in Dallas, and with fans getting irritated amid the team’s continued struggles, the pressure is on the front office to put together a big offseason of work. Recent comments made by Jerry Jones seem to indicate the Cowboys are looking to swing some big moves over the next few months, and that led one of the team’s top executives, vice president of player personnel Will McClay, to pull back the curtain on the front office’s offseason strategy.
Will McClay Dishes on Cowboys’ Offseason Strategy
The Cowboys have a unique front office setup because Jones serves as both the team’s owner and their de facto general manager. Still, he isn’t the only guy pulling the strings in the front office, as he has a staff of executives he leans on to help him make decisions. One of those guys is McClay, who has been working for the Cowboys for over two decades.
McClay initially got his start in Dallas as a pro scout back in 2002, and he’s gradually worked his way up the ranks. He’s been working as the team’s vice president of player personnel since 2017, making him one of the top voices in the front office. As a result, he plays a key role in shaping what the Cowboys’ approach to free agency and the draft looks like on a yearly basis.
With Jones recently saying that the Cowboys plan to “bust the budget” this offseason, it seems like the team may be taking a different approach to the offseason this year. Even with that in mind, though, McClay revealed that while the end result may be different, the front office’s process for identifying which guys they want to target will remain the same.
“That typically doesn’t change because what we do … you still have to go grade the free agents and know the free agent class,” McClay said, per Todd Archer of ESPN. “If you’re doing your job, it’s systematic because you do it every year. And you might not go after certain players, but those free agents come up in trades or get cut later or whatever it is … Even if you don’t have any money or you’re shopping with no budget, you at least have to be ready to window shop.”
Cowboys Could Be Set for Busy Offseason
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DENVER, COLORADO – OCTOBER 26: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looks on a game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on October 26, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Right off the bat, the Cowboys have their hands full with some of their own free agents. The team already re-signed running back Javonte Williams to a three-year, $24 million contract extension, but all eyes are on wide receiver George Pickens after he enjoyed a breakout campaign during his first year in Dallas. Reports indicate that the team will place the franchise tag on Pickens, but there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done when it comes to signing him to a long-term deal.
Beyond that, the front office has to find ways to add to its current crop of players. Even if they bring back several of their key players from last season, improvements need to be made, as the team won only seven games in 2025. The process may be the same every year for McClay and the front office, but if the Cowboys want to return to the postseason next year, they may need to break out the checkbook instead of window-shopping this time around.