NFL free agency winners and losers

[big dog cowboy]

NFL free agency winners and losers: Jesse Minter, Trent McDuffie up; Vic Fangio, Michael Penix down
Published: Mar 09, 2026
Jeffri Chadiha - NFL.com Columnist

LOSERS

1) Jerry Jones: The Cowboys owner was competing for the right to acquire Maxx Crosby before eventually losing out to the Ravens. It's a legitimate argument that giving up two first-round picks for a player might have been too much to bear -- especially since Green Bay gave up two first-rounders to acquire edge rusher Micah Parsons from Dallas last August, and Parsons eventually sustained a torn ACL late in what had been an impressive year -- but Crosby would've been a game-changer in Dallas. The Cowboys' Plan B turned out to be another trade with Green Bay, this time for the right to acquire edge rusher Rashan Gary in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2027.

Gary is certainly an upgrade on what Dallas already had on the edge. It's also worth wondering how impactful he will be as a Cowboy. Gary was once considered an ascending talent. A torn ACL in the 2022 season changed all that; he hasn't been nearly as proficient at pressuring quarterbacks since he was before that injury. The 29-year-old also is set to count for $19.5 million against this year's cap. There's a reason the Packers were considering releasing him at some point this offseason. Jones certainly found a cheaper option for his pass rush. It remains to be seen if it will be an effective one.

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-free-a...ent-mcduffie-up-vic-fangio-michael-penix-down

I guess Sam Williams and Jalen Thompson are chopped liver.

 

[StuckMojo]

I am personally glad we did not give up 2 first round picks for Crosby

 

[Jipper]

This is click bait garbage - giving up 2 1st round picks for him would not have been smart on a team with this many holes.

 

[cowboys5xsbs]

Jerry has been a loser for 30 years now

 

[CWR]

This is click bait garbage - giving up 2 1st round picks for him would not have been smart on a team with this many holes.

If you told me I could have Gary, Styles and Terrell

Or

Crosby

Im taking the draft choices. We need more than one elite edge. Not to say Styles will fall to us, but there arent many combinations I wouldn't want over Crosby. I love Crosby as well.

 

[John813]

If you told me I could have Gary, Styles and Terrell

Or

Crosby

Im taking the draft choices. We need more than one elite edge. Not to say Styles will fall to us, but there arent many combinations I wouldn't want over Crosby. I love Crosby as well.

Honestly, not sure why we were even thinking of trading for Crosby.
Hendrickson should of been the main target for edge if going for a "top" guy.

 

[Jipper]

If you told me I could have Gary, Styles and Terrell

Or

Crosby

Im taking the draft choices. We need more than one elite edge. Not to say Styles will fall to us, but there arent many combinations I wouldn't want over Crosby. I love Crosby as well.

Yup, we need quality and quantity - Crosby was too much for two 1sts...and if the draft falls our way the current 1st could become 2 1st and a 2nd or a 3rd also should they trade back a bit

 

[Jipper]

Honestly, not sure why we were even thinking of trading for Crosby.
Hendrickson should of been the main target for edge if going for a "top" guy.

Probably bc Hendricksons contract is going to be so bloated unfortunately

 

[TNCowboy]

Giving up a 4th rounder for an overpaid guy the entire league knew was going to be released makes you a loser.

 

[John813]

Probably bc Hendricksons contract is going to be so bloated unfortunately

True. But I feel like with Crosby, he would of asked for a revisit of his deal since only his 2026 base is guaranteed and then 27 is just guaranteed for injury.

 

[Jipper]

Giving up a 4th rounder for an overpaid guy the entire league knew was going to be released makes you a loser.

Uh...if he was released and was a FA it is highly likely his new contract would have been a good deal higher.

Gary was a very good move

 

[darthseinfeld]

I guess Sam Williams and Jalen Thompson are chopped liver.

Sam Williams certainly is

 

[CWR]

Giving up a 4th rounder for an overpaid guy the entire league knew was going to be released makes you a loser.

Not if it saves 10 million a year in salary.

 

[DasTex]

Giving up a 4th rounder for an overpaid guy the entire league knew was going to be released makes you a loser.

Did you see the contracts that were given yesterday? That's why they secured him before the release.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

Trust me, if the Cowboys did the Crosby trade, this article would bemoan the "high cost for a pass rusher that only fills one need on a team with many".

Predictable click bait. These national writers can spin any narrative so long as it bashes Dallas. Yawn.

 

[Havic]

I was disappointed we couldn’t get a top lb, felt that was a big need

 

[Hawkeye19]

Crosby is not worth two firsts. Glad we didn’t overpay.

Gary is a solid addition and an upgrade, and so is Thompson.

FA is still ahead of us. Add a starting caliber LBer and a good nickel CB, and suddenly we can look at taking BPA on D in the draft, or trade down and acquire more picks.

 

[Havic]

Raiders were big winners, that will be a drastically different team next season but tough as hell division

 

[CowboyoWales]

NFL free agency winners and losers: Jesse Minter, Trent McDuffie up; Vic Fangio, Michael Penix down
Published: Mar 09, 2026
Jeffri Chadiha - NFL.com Columnist

LOSERS

1) Jerry Jones: The Cowboys owner was competing for the right to acquire Maxx Crosby before eventually losing out to the Ravens. It's a legitimate argument that giving up two first-round picks for a player might have been too much to bear -- especially since Green Bay gave up two first-rounders to acquire edge rusher Micah Parsons from Dallas last August, and Parsons eventually sustained a torn ACL late in what had been an impressive year -- but Crosby would've been a game-changer in Dallas. The Cowboys' Plan B turned out to be another trade with Green Bay, this time for the right to acquire edge rusher Rashan Gary in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2027.

Gary is certainly an upgrade on what Dallas already had on the edge. It's also worth wondering how impactful he will be as a Cowboy. Gary was once considered an ascending talent. A torn ACL in the 2022 season changed all that; he hasn't been nearly as proficient at pressuring quarterbacks since he was before that injury. The 29-year-old also is set to count for $19.5 million against this year's cap. There's a reason the Packers were considering releasing him at some point this offseason. Jones certainly found a cheaper option for his pass rush. It remains to be seen if it will be an effective one.

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-free-a...ent-mcduffie-up-vic-fangio-michael-penix-down

I guess Sam Williams and Jalen Thompson are chopped liver.

Loser -Jerry....but not because of Maxx (after all, Trey's still available). But because he balked at LB (and CB) contracts, nowhere near 'Bust' the Budget.
Incremental improvements, but didn't do enough to be able to go BPA in the draft. We need LB (OLB and MLB) S and CB in the draft.
We're going to have to draft down from 12, to pick up a 2nd as he didn't fill the holes....and there's little left.

 

[speedkilz88]

He's recovered from that knee injury. As a LB he had 9 sacks, 6 sacks the injured year, and 9.5 sacks when he came back. Then 7.5 sacks as a DE in 2024 and another 7.5 sacks as a DE in 2025.