Who is the most important player the Cowboys have to re-sign?
With the dismissal of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, the reconstruction of the Dallas Cowboys is officially underway. As the playoffs begin this weekend, the Cowboys have their eyes elsewhere and look to fix what was a flawed roster that led to a disappointing losing season. Decisions on high-priced veterans will be made, and contracts will either be restructured or terminated altogether.
The Cowboys also have to determine if some players on expiring contracts are worth keeping or setting them free for the open market. Per Spotrac, the Cowboys have eight offensive players who are coming up on free agency, with varying degrees of necessity. Here’s whether the Cowboys should re-sign these offensive players or let them walk.
T.J. Bass, OG: Re-sign
Dallas will need valuable depth at the position. Bass has done a good job in spurts when asked to step in. Due to his limited experience and the Cowboys knowing him well, it shouldn’t take much to retain him on the team. Bass can play either guard spot and most recently filled in for a few games when Tyler Smith moved to left tackle. Also, Bass is a restricted free agent; therefore, a suitor would have to offer the Cowboys compensation to pry him away.
Hakeem Adeniji, T/G: Re-sign
Hakeem Adeniji should be retained at least through the offseason and training camp as a placeholder. You get the growing sense that the Cowboys are going to part ways with Terence Steele, who has disappointed since receiving his contract extension. The Cowboys very likely will add a new right tackle, whether it be in free agency or in the draft, to protect Dak Prescott. Adeniji would be more like the emergency bridge once the new starter is up to speed. Like many on the roster, Adeniji can play multiple offensive line spots and has started 16 games at tackle or guard in his career, including a start in the Super Bowl while with the Cincinnati Bengals. His price tag should be very manageable and allow the Cowboys to part ways down the line if needed, just before the start of the 2026 season.
Brock Hoffman, G/C: Let Walk
Dallas should keep him, but won’t be able to. Hoffman has put out solid tape at the NFL level with time spent at all three interior spots. While Hoffman isn’t as powerful as other interior players on the roster, like Cooper Beebe or Tyler Booker, he has good mobility and plays through the whistle with a mean streak. He’s been a great teammate and harbored no ill will after being overtaken for a starting center position following the departure of Tyler Biadasz to the Washington Commanders, and Beebe’s instant insertion as the starting center. Yet, you get the feeling that Hoffman deserves more and could get it on the open market. Division rivals Washington and New York need offensive line help, so it wouldn’t be far-fetched to imagine him lured away for a pay raise higher than the $1.1M he had received last year and being priced out of the Cowboys’ budget.
Miles Sanders, RB: Let Walk
Entering last season, the Cowboys didn’t know what was going to become of their running back room. They had added Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams in free agency, and likely in their minds, were expecting to approach the running back position in a committee. Yet, Sanders didn’t make a great first impression with a critical fumble in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Sanders later went on season-ending injured reserve with a shoulder injury, which ceded the backfield firmly into the hands of Williams. Fast forward to now, it would appear that the Cowboys are going to invest in ways to keep Williams around (more on that in a moment) while also looking to Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah as contributors next year. Sanders looks far removed from the Pro Bowl runner he was with the Eagles, and Dallas should let him try his hand elsewhere.
Jalen Tolbert, WR: Let Walk
After four seasons, we can say that the Jalen Tolbert experience is over. Early in his career, Tolbert was given chances to cement himself as a secondary receiver behind CeeDee Lamb, but he proved to be more of a splash player than a consistent factor. He had his moments, like his game-winning touchdown reception in Pittsburgh during the 2024 season. However, as time went on, the team decided to pivot from Tolbert and had to add more receivers to pick up the slack.
One key turning point was the team trading a fourth-round pick for Jonathan Mingo in 2024. Mingo is under contract through next season; therefore, keeping Tolbert would feel redundant. Another major factor has been the emergence of Ryan Flournoy this year. He is a versatile target who runs good routes and has developed a rapport with Prescott. Flournoy eclipsed the 100-yard mark twice this season and firmly supplants Tolbert from getting a chance to be the team’s third receiver.
George Pickens, WR: Re-sign, duh
Let’s keep this short and sweet: Pay Pickens. In just one season in Dallas, he put out his best season. He had 93 receptions for over 1,400 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. He’s the perfect player to pair with CeeDee Lamb because of his ability to stretch the field and win 50/50 balls down the field with regularity. Not only that, but he makes plays after the catch and has the speed to separate from defenses. If you want to maximize the prime of Dak Prescott, you need to arm him with as many weapons as possible, and right now, Pickens may be the most dangerous. He’s only 24 years old with room to grow. The price tag will be expensive, but the Cowboys have to make difficult decisions and commit to moving dollars around to do what makes sense and sign Pickens to an extension.
Javonte Williams, RB: Let Walk
This is a very tough decision to make. However, you start to wonder if the offensive line has been the catalyst for the sudden success of runners in Dallas who experience a career renaissance behind the Cowboys’ offensive line. Think about it:
The Cowboys have had a different 1,000-yard rusher in each of the past three seasons. (Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle, and Javonte Williams) New offensive coordinator, Klayton Adams, is also a very good run designer, and it showed in 2025. There are other options in free agency that could have similar numbers in Dallas with Adams and the offensive line. To name a few, Seattle’s Kenneth Walker and Atlanta’s Tyler Allegier could find success playing in Dallas for a slightly lower contract than Williams could extract from the Cowboys. It won’t be easy to replace Williams’ 1,201 rushing and his pass protection, but ultimately, this is a spot where they could go for cheaper production.
Robert Jones, G: Let Walk
Robert Jones never saw any game action with the Cowboys in the preseason or the regular season. He sustained a neck injury in the first padded practice and sat out the entire 2025 season. Jones was given a solid chunk of change at $3.75M on a year on a one-year contract. The reason why Dallas should cut Jones is that he doesn’t fit into their plans, and that was made evident as early as last season. Jones’ injury didn’t require surgery, but Dallas never opted to bring him back off injured reserve once he was healthy, signaling the team was in no rush to see him play even on a limited basis. Expect the Cowboys to look for other options at guard depth.
Category: General Sports
