For the past few days, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have kept talking about “busting the budget” as free agency approaches, hinting at a more aggressive plan than usual. However, as the noise grows louder, the co-owner and CEO of the team, Stephen Jones, is already signaling that the reality may look very different when decisions are made.

According to the Cowboys reporter, Clarence Hill Jr on X, “Stephen Jones wouldn’t co-sign on the Cowboys busting the budget in free agency, but he said Jerry Jones is driven to improve the talent on defense.”

“I think he is very driven,” Stephen Jones said on Jerry Jones’s “busting the budget” approach. “I think we’re all very driven to really do what we need to do on the defensive side of the ball to get better. And I think if we can do that, we think we can have a great football team… I think everything’s different, Clarence. There’s no set situation as to how you go about doing something.”

Last month, Jerry Jones said, “We want to get out here and do better than we did this year. (There’s) the incentive to, dare I say it, bust the budget to try to get something done now? Yes.”

Now it seems like Stephen Jones and the Cowboys might not be going with the same approach as Jerry. Nevertheless, even before the market opened, the Cowboys had handled some internal business. They secured running back Javonte Williams on a three-year extension and confirmed they will place the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens. In addition, they still must work out a deal with Brandon Aubrey, who could reset the kicker market. So while Jerry World hears talk of bold moves, the front office is first protecting its own core.

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Even so, Stephen Jones stopped short of guaranteeing a spending spree.

“I mean, we want to fix this defense, and we feel really good about the offensive side of the ball now that we got Javonte done, and we know we’ll have George back,” Jones said. “So we feel really good about that side of the ball. I think this is, obviously, we spent a lot of time on it already in the offseason, revamping the defensive coaching staff. And now we’ll take the next steps, which are to improve the personnel on that side of the ball.”

Right now, it is easier for the Cowboys Nation to point out weaknesses than strengths on that side. Ironically, the defensive tackle position stands as the only group with real punch, a spot that frustrated fans for years.

Still, the trio of Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, and Kenny Clark gives Dallas real muscle up front. However, the roster around them needs serious work. Yes, the two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft will help, but the draft alone cannot patch every hole.

Therefore, if the Cowboys truly want to live up to the “bust the budget” promise, they must act in free agency. However, there are some concerns about that.

Jerry Jones might face problems in free agency

As free agency nears, the Dallas Cowboys still have not locked down who will protect Dak Prescott’s blindside. Drafting Tyler Guyton in the first round pointed to him as the long-term answer at left tackle. However, injuries limited him through two seasons, which forced Dallas to slide All-Pro guard Tyler Smith outside late in 2025. That move solved a short-term issue, but it also raised a bigger question for the Cowboys.

Now, although the plan calls for Tyler Smith to return to guard in 2026, the situation feels fluid. If Dallas cannot stabilize left tackle, the coaching staff may revisit that switch.

“The added problem is this year’s free agency pool doesn’t offer many options, and the names that pop up aren’t exactly inexpensive as a whole,” the DallasCowboys.com’s Patrik Walker explained.

In other words, Jerry Jones may talk boldly, but the market may not cooperate. Still, Walker floated Hakeem Adeniji as a depth option at roughly $1.6 million per year. The Garland native rejoined the Cowboys last April, made some good plays during camp, and then survived the numbers shuffle to appear in six regular games in 2025. His performance brought mixed results, yet it may warrant another low-cost competition deal.

Meanwhile, Braxton Jones presents a more stable profile at about $4.8 million annually. The former Chicago Bears fifth-round pick earned PFWA All-Rookie honors in 2022 and started 44 of 46 possible games at left tackle. Although a knee injury slowed him last season, he returned for the postseason, making him a sensible fallback behind Guyton.

However, Braden Smith shifts the conversation into premium territory at around $13.5 million per year. With 105 starts for the Indianapolis Colts and All-Rookie honors of his own, he stands as an established right tackle. Bringing him to Dallas likely means moving on from Terence Steele.

Notably, both Jones and Smith become unrestricted on March 11 unless their current teams extend them, which adds even more pressure to this decision.