Cowboys' $31M in space earmarked, but massive commitments leave new deals little margin

USA Today

4 days ago

Contrary to popular thinking, there's nothing wrong with paying out massive contracts in the NFL. Rookie contracts are great, but sometimes top-of-the-market deals to veterans are unavoidable. Massive high-end deals to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have consequences, but that comes with the territory, and these are necessary steps in remining a relevant franchise.
With Micah Parsons and Tyler Smith soon joining this bank-busting bunch, the Dallas Cowboys will soon have a significant portion of their cap space tied up in just a handful of cornerstone players. As long as each of those players stay healthy and perform up to expectations, it's money well spent.
Three of the aforementioned four have All-Pro seasons on their resumes and the lone exception, Prescott, has a special distinction of being the runner up for NFL MVP in his last full season played. They're all excellent players who are worth the investment, but that's not to say their contracts don't bring with them certain ramifications.
The Cowboys have a hefty proportion of their salary cap wrapped up in a few key players, so they have to be careful with how they allocate the rest of their money going forward. The margin for error is slim and they can't afford to miss on any sizeable deals in the future.
Despite having the league's highest annual salary at QB, third-highest at WR and 10th-highest at edge (Parsons' fifth-year option at $24 million), the club still has $31 million in cap space this season. They'll likely roll most of that over to 2026 to help withstand their upcoming deals, though they may look to realize more space next offseason.
Dallas is already in a tough spot with Terence Steele and Trevon Diggs. Neither player has lived up to their respective side of their deals. Both have experienced obstacles while recovering from injury and both find themselves in prove-it seasons here in 2025. Luckily for the Cowboys, both contacts come with escape hatches in them that makes such a split possible. Not all long-term commitments have that.
Players such as Jake Ferguson, DaRon Bland and George Pickens are all set to hit free agency following the season. The Cowboys have to decide which, if any, would make for a safe investment. Again, teams don't get in trouble by paying healthy and talented performers, it's when they can't stay healthy or fail to perform up to previous expectations when teams get in trouble.
In order to maintain a healthy roster, the Cowboys need a healthy dose of young players playing on rookie deals. Low-cost journeymen and rotational veterans also factor into the equation. These players tend to either come at a low cost or come with a short-term commitment. Sometimes even both. The Cowboys need these players to perform as well; it's just the stakes aren't as high as individuals. It's the massive multiyear commitments that have to hit. And based on all the big deals about to be doled out, the Cowboys don't have much margin for error.
You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!