Trey Hendrickson will not be signing with the Dallas Cowboys.
Getty
Trey Hendrickson will not be signing with the Dallas Cowboys.
If you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan still waiting for Jerry Jones and the team to follow through on that promise to “bust the budget,” even after the bulk of the top talent on the free-agency market has evaporated without Dallas making a truly splashy move, it appears you last hope just walked out the door. Trey Hendrickson is off the board, landing in Baltimore hours after the Ravens shocked the NFL by backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade.
There is, obviously, a lot to unpack there, league-wide–especially the possibility that the Ravens backed out on the trade for Crosby only after seeing that Hendrickson’s market had gone down, a significant bit of manipulation that will surely catch Roger Goodell’s attention.
But for the Cowboys, the move (it is reported as a four-year, $112 million contract) all but puts the nail in the coffin on the notion that this offseason was going to be completely different, that the Cowboys would spend big to improve a defense that so thoroughly let down the team’s offense last year. Spending big on Hendrickson was the last chance the Cowboys had to make a truly ground-shaking move, and they passed on it.
Cowboys Were ‘Keeping Tabs’ on Trey Hendrickson
As of Wednesday morning, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated was reporting that the Cowboys were still keeping watch on Hendrickson.
Wrote Breer: “All eyes are on the Ravens’ next move—and how hard they go after Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. The Colts have kept tabs on him, as have the Eagles and Cowboys. Baltimore quickly pivoting to Hendrickson would only bolster suspicions some teams have.”
Again, those suspicions are valid, but for the Cowboys, they don’t much matter. What matters is that the top free agents left on the board are either of little interest to the Cowboys, or are not impact players who would require top-shelf contracts to obtain.
Free-Agent List Diminished
On the Pro Football Focus list of free agents, the first defensive player without a contract is defensive lineman DJ Reader, who is not a Cowboys fit and would, according to PFF, net a market value contract of one year, $4.5 million. Not a budget-buster.
The Cowboys could yet pursue another value pass-rusher to ease the mind of concerned fans–No. 28 on PFF’s list is Joey Bosa, with a value of one year, $11 million. And there’s still Jadeveon Clowney, at one year and $10 million.
But again, the promise from the Cowboys was busting the budget and spending more than ever in free agency. There’s really no remaining moves that would fit that bill.
Jadeveon Clowney #42 of the Dallas Cowboys
GettyJadeveon Clowney #42 of the Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys Have Been Making Other Moves
To take stock of what the Cowboys actually did do in the opening of the NFL’s free agency period, there was one big-ticket item on the list: Jalen Thompson, the Cardinals safety who is also expected to play some slot corner. His deal is reported at $33 million for three years.
Other than that? Two one-year deals: $5 million for safety PJ Locke, and $3 million for nose tackle Otito Ogbonnia. They added quarterback Sam Howell, too, on a minimum deal.
Now, in fairness, the Cowboys did put a $28 million franchise tag on George Pickens, and re-signed Javonte Williams to a three-year, $24 million contract, while keeping Sam Williams for $3 million. They also agree to acquire Rashan Gary in a trade for a 2027 fourth-rounder, and Gary has $42 million left on his contract.
But Gary was about to be released by the Packers, and none of his money is guaranteed, meaning the Cowboys will drastically reduce Gary’s cost.
It’s not a perfect measure, not with so many contracts and details still pending, but Spotrac’s free-agency spending tracker puts the Cowboys at $43.5 million this offseason–No. 24 in the NFL. That’s not busting anyone’s budget.