Dak: Cowboys can make 'big jump' if they're aggressive in free agency
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is excited after owner and general manager Jerry Jones said last week that he envisioned Dallas "being aggressive" in free agency.
"Heck yeah, most definitely," Prescott said Wednesday when asked if he was fired up by Jones' comments, according to team website writer Todd Yarvish. Prescott added, "Especially when he said ... no redshirts."
He explained, "We've got a coach (Brian Schottenheimer) in his second year. We had some ups and downs and shined some good moments last year. This is the year that you make a big jump, and getting big-time players who can help immediately is a part of that."
Dallas reportedly restructured Prescott's, Tyler Smith's, and CeeDee Lamb's contracts Wednesday. The moves freed up around $66 million to make the Cowboys cap compliant, and they have other simple ways to create more than $50 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.
"The only way to push more is for me to go borrow some of my future," Jones said at the scouting combine. "Expect me to go borrow some of my future. ... I want to do everything we possibly can to stop somebody and to basically win some third downs more than we did last year. So I think that would be the area that you would see me bust the budget."
Jones also said the team can't wait for players who aren't ready in 2026.
Dallas is coming off a 7-9-1 season and has failed to make the playoffs in back-to-back campaigns. Defense was the team's biggest issue: The Cowboys ranked last in points per game and EPA/play, according to Ben Baldwin's database. Their 511 total points surrendered was the most they've allowed in a single season in franchise history.
Free agents can begin negotiating with teams when the legal tampering window opens March 9.