Even after a disastrous 7-9-1 season defined by the shocking trade of Micah Parsons, former Cowboys QB Tony Romo sees a clear path back to the playoffs for his old team. While Dallas’ defensive overhaul failed to produce immediate results, Romo believes the moves created long-term flexibility that could allow the Cowboys to rebuild the roster and re-enter contention as soon as next season.

“You’ve got now two big guys in the middle. It’s a lot of improvement,” Romo said on the Pat McAfee Show. “They’ve got another first-rounder coming this year. They’ve got another one. I mean, I just feel like they could end up getting through four guys if you get the right coach in there. And I think they’ve got a good one this year. I think he’s got a pretty good system, and they really like him. This team could turn around in a hurry.”

As Romo mentioned, the Cowboys indeed implemented plenty of changes in defense. After shipping Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in August 2025, they received two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. The team later added depth by adding edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku and focused on developing younger or existing talent, including Marshawn Kneeland and Sam Williams. 

However, new faces aren’t always the solution. Before the 2025 trade deadline, Jerry Jones brought in defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson to bolster his team’s defense. But the revamp did little to curb the team’s defensive struggles.

The defense’s collapse was evident on the stat sheet, where they languished near the bottom of the league. Opponents moved the ball at will, averaging 377 yards per game, and the pass defense was particularly porous, ranking last in the NFL by giving up 251 yards through the air and a staggering 30.1 points per game

Those numbers highlighted how far the unit had fallen, even with star power on the roster. And the constant shake-up in the coaching staff has compounded the issue, with the team looking for its fourth defensive coordinator after dismissing Matt Eberflus. The team has made major draft investments over the years, but the results have not caught up.

From 2020 to 2024, they picked 25 defensive players in the draft. Only cornerback DaRon Bland and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa have performed up to expectations. In fact, Cowboys’ executive vice president Stephen Jones has admitted the team has not drafted well enough on defense.

“I don’t know that I can put a finger on why [they have not drafted better on defense],” Jones said via ESPN. “It’s certainly something we want to change, starting with this draft. We want to go out there and find really good football players, like Osa, like Overshown, guys like that, like Bland. That brings us to free agency, where the Cowboys have been reluctant to spend big money.”

Along with draft picks, the team must make the most of free agency to improve the roster. In the past, Jerry Jones’ team has been cautious, often avoiding big-money signings. Currently, they enjoy stability along the defensive line. With Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Osa Odighizuwa, they are powerful at defensive tackle and finally have strength in the middle. However, the same doesn’t hold for other key areas. On the edge, only Donovan Ezeiruaku and James Houston are under contract, while Jadeveon Clowney and Dante Fowler are free agents.

The uncertainty continues at linebacker, where Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn are set to become free agents. Logan Wilson’s future is vague, with a $6 million base salary on the books. In the defensive backfield, safety Donovan Wilson is a free agent, while Malik Hooker is in the final year of his deal. Despite the required upgrades, Romo is optimistic and believes Parsons’ trade served the Cowboys well.

“I mean, if you weren’t good enough to win the Super Bowl last year and you’re about to sign Micah, then all of a sudden now you’re telling me, ‘Okay, I’m going to pay three guys in the top two or three in the league at their position,'” Romo said. “Dak [Prescott], CeeDee [Lamb], you got Micah [Parsons], and then all of a sudden you got another receiver coming in. Now you’re going to have to pay. Like, you’re not going to really be able to build this roster out fully.”

Had the Cowboys extended the linebacker’s contract, it would have exceeded $40 million per year. When paired with Dak Prescott’s $60 million annual salary and CeeDee Lamb’s $34 million contract, Dallas would have committed an enormous portion of their salary cap to just three players. It would have limited their ability to build out the rest of the roster. 

Can Jerry Jones utilize the team’s salary cap ahead of next season?

For years, the Cowboys have been conservative about managing the salary cap. They typically re-sign their key players and avoid big-money free agents. Jerry Jones claims this offseason will be different and says the team has room to be aggressive. However, the situation is more complicated. The Cowboys are projected to be about $31 million over the cap for 2026, according to Spotrac.

To get under the limit, Dallas needs to clear that $31 million first. They will likely need to create an additional $30 to $50 million to manage new contracts and roster moves comfortably. A key factor in this is how the team addresses George Pickens. A franchise tag would cost close to $30 million on its own, while a long-term extension could lessen the cap hit by spreading the money across future seasons.

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To unlock the aggressive offseason Jerry Jones promised, the front office has several levers to pull. The most straightforward path involves roster cuts, with moves like releasing Terence Steele (saving $14M) and Malik Hooker ($6.8M) providing immediate relief. Cutting Jonathan Mingo adds $1.9 million more and brings the total savings to $22.7 million. This is helpful, but still not enough on its own.

That’s where restructures come into play. Dak Prescott’s large $74 million cap hit could be reduced by about $31 million with a rework. Dallas could also gain $17 million by restructuring Tyler Smith, $14.5 million with Quinnen Williams, and $19 million by adjusting CeeDee Lamb’s deal. In total, releases and restructures could create over $105 million in cap space, even before addressing Kenny Clark’s $21.5 million contract, which has no guaranteed money left.

In the end, the Cowboys’ readiness to push money into the future will show how serious they are about truly chasing a title in 2026.