Comparing 2025 FA moves and trades to 2026 moves so far

[ArtClink]

Here’s where I disagree -

I can appreciate and even support any Cowboys fan who is optimistic about 2026. I sincerely appreciate that and support the right of everyone who believes that to speak it here. Being hopeful is something I can support.

But I also understand and appreciate the fans who feel burned, disappointed, disheartened and sick of Jerry, his unaccountable family and the 30 years of RESULTS we’ve had.

I fully understand that some fans here do not believe JJ and SJ know what they’re doing and after 30 years don’t “believe” with the same guys in charge, we have a realistic chance.

That is not HATE. I don’t hate anyone. I do hate the RESULTS we keep getting from this FO. Big difference.

I will never understand why we can’t just let people have their opinions without calling them “haters”.

Agreed Hazey. And I’m so sick of select posters who call you a hater just because they have a different opinion.

 

[blueblood70]

Isn't a good place to add this but I think it's funny a lot of these ex players that are ending up with other teams that the Cowboys fans didn't like and said Jerry's the only one who does this Guess where Elam went ohh yes Mister elam found a job with the Chiefs I thought that was a good organization how could they bring in a body to their team they known as bad..

It's like keep pointing this out because the Cowboys are not the only ones you bring in a bunch of one year players they're not the only ones who bring in potential that they think they're the team that can turn it around It just happens the whole league participates in this and that is why it didn't take long for Sanborn to get a job for even Matt Eberflu's to get a job and now Elam found his way and he's not the only one that will end up on another team doing the same thing..

 

[Bobhaze]

Isn't a good place to add this but I think it's funny a lot of these ex players that are ending up with other teams that the Cowboys fans didn't like and said Jerry's the only one who does this Guess where Elam went ohh yes Mister elam found a job with the Chiefs I thought that was a good organization how could they bring in a body to their team they known as bad..

It's like keep pointing this out because the Cowboys are not the only ones you bring in a bunch of one year players they're not the only ones who bring in potential that they think they're the team that can turn it around It just happens the whole league participates in this and that is why it didn't take long for Sanborn to get a job for even Matt Eberflu's to get a job and now Elam found his way and he's not the only one that will end up on another team doing the same thing..

Well Blue, here’s a broader perspective on Elam:

• He’s been with 4 different teams in the last two seasons.
• The Cowboys are the only team that gave up two draft picks to acquire him last year. We received a 6th and gave up a 5th and a 7th round pick. Not a lot but still draft capital.
• The Cowboys chose to waive him before the 2025 season ended. He was bad.
• The Titans picked him up off waivers in late Nov last year but also later cut him.
• The chiefs did sign him to a one year cheap deal as a FA two weeks ago but he’s buried pretty deep on their depth chart. Maybe he makes the team. We will see.

It doesn’t seem that we are that great at judging talent. It came out last year when they traded for him that we had him rated him highly in the 2022 draft. À pattern we also followed with the trade acquisition of WRJonathan Wingo in 2024 for a 4th round pick.

Much like we had with several other one year players that didn’t work out like LB Kenneth Murray and LB Jack Sanborn. Elam, Murray and Sanborn were supposed to really help our D last year. None of them are still here.

 

[kskboys]

Isn't a good place to add this but I think it's funny a lot of these ex players that are ending up with other teams that the Cowboys fans didn't like and said Jerry's the only one who does this Guess where Elam went ohh yes Mister elam found a job with the Chiefs I thought that was a good organization how could they bring in a body to their team they known as bad..

It's like keep pointing this out because the Cowboys are not the only ones you bring in a bunch of one year players they're not the only ones who bring in potential that they think they're the team that can turn it around It just happens the whole league participates in this and that is why it didn't take long for Sanborn to get a job for even Matt Eberflu's to get a job and now Elam found his way and he's not the only one that will end up on another team doing the same thing..

Hard to read your gradeschool trash posts, but this one is obvious. Chiefs had to dump McDuffie due to salary cap reasons, so now they're reaching everywhere to find a cheap, viable CB. Pretty obvious if you think about it.

All teams bring in camp bodies. How do you not know this?

 

[kskboys]

Aside from Javonte, the guys we signed this year are just much much better players.

 

[blueblood70]

Well Blue, here’s a broader perspective on Elam:

• He’s been with 4 different teams in the last two seasons.
• The Cowboys are the only team that gave up two draft picks to acquire him last year. We received a 6th and gave up a 5th and a 7th round pick. Not a lot but still draft capital.
• The Cowboys chose to waive him before the 2025 season ended. He was bad.
• The Titans picked him up off waivers in late Nov last year but also later cut him.
• The chiefs did sign him to a one year cheap deal as a FA two weeks ago but he’s buried pretty deep on their depth chart. Maybe he makes the team. We will see.

It doesn’t seem that we are that great at judging talent. It came out last year when they traded for him that we had him rated him highly in the 2022 draft. À pattern we also followed with the trade acquisition of WRJonathan Wingo in 2024 for a 4th round pick.

Much like we had with several other one year players that didn’t work out like LB Kenneth Murray and LB Jack Sanborn. Elam, Murray and Sanborn were supposed to really help our D last year. None of them are still here.

Stop trying to convince me my thought process was wrong, because it’s not.

I’m literally explaining that all these guys, including Trey Lance and sometimes players who get shipped out like Nahshon Wright, and others people didn’t like such as Woods or Awuzie, are in the same boat. The guys we brought in last year—fine, we get it—but those draft picks you’re talking about are nothing, absolutely nothing. They do what other teams do: bring guys in and hope they can work out at least as role players. It wasn’t Elim’s fault; he was in a bad defense with no pass rush and a defensive coordinator who didn’t want to create one. It was a horrible defense, and not one player who started the year on the roster looked good. Most of the defense was terrible, and they all had their worst years—that’s not a coincidence.

The point is, every team has a bunch of one-year players and role players filling out the bottom of their roster, moving from team to team. Jerry’s not the only one who does this. I know you’re quick to criticize him and claim he operates differently, but it’s really the same as what most teams do.

Take Kansas City, for example. If you break down their free agent spending, you’ll see they’ve traded away some of their better players without a solid backup plan, similar to what we did in 2018 with the wide receiver-by-committee approach. Yes, they’ve won a lot of Super Bowls, but they’re not the all-in, aggressive team people make them out to be. They’ve taken some of our leftovers—like Wilson and Hitchens—but have also let key players walk. That’s why they’re in their current spot: they let their two best corners go and now they’re scrambling for role players, just like the Cowboys did.

Sometimes the Jerry hate goes overboard. With those hate goggles on, it’s easy to forget that most of the league operates this way.

They’re not like the Rams, Eagles, or the occasional team that takes a big swing. I’m not saying they shouldn’t try that once in a while, but most teams care about the cap and budget, make tough roster decisions, and deal with holdouts, franchise tags, and fifth-year options.

I know Jerry’s not popular, and I’m not defending him, but it’s really not as different as people make it out to be. I see it all the time—folks make excuses, backtrack, and try to explain why this case is somehow unique. But plenty of ex-players our fans thought were terrible and should never play again end up on other teams. Same goes for coaches—anyone who thought Matt Eberflus would be out of work for long was wrong. He’s now with a better team, a better organization. Ironic, isn’t it? He landed in a better place. And to be clear, I agreed he needed to go—what happened was beyond a disaster, worse than that movie about all those trains crashing into each other at full speed.

From my perspective, about 90% of the league operates pretty much the same way, but occasionally you have those who swing for the fences—going all in with aggressive, budget-busting moves. Over the last two offseasons, I’ve got to give Jerry some credit for being more aggressive and getting ahead of things, even if it didn’t always work out. This offseason, he’s made the effort—it’s not his fault they didn’t land Crosby, Dean, or Walker—but that aggressive mindset could still lead to surprises and moves before the season starts. It might not be exactly what the fan base wants, but I’ve noticed subtle changes over the past two years. Last year didn’t pan out, but they kept that approach through midseason, making trades, and so far this year they’ve stayed aggressive. Just because some deals didn’t work out doesn’t mean they’ve gone down with the ship—they’ve thrown caution to the wind and are operating a bit differently, in my opinion.

 

[kskboys]

Stop trying to convince me my thought process was wrong, because it’s not.

I’m literally explaining that all these guys, including Trey Lance and sometimes players who get shipped out like Nahshon Wright, and others people didn’t like such as Woods or Awuzie, are in the same boat. The guys we brought in last year—fine, we get it—but those draft picks you’re talking about are nothing, absolutely nothing. They do what other teams do: bring guys in and hope they can work out at least as role players. It wasn’t Elim’s fault; he was in a bad defense with no pass rush and a defensive coordinator who didn’t want to create one. It was a horrible defense, and not one player who started the year on the roster looked good. Most of the defense was terrible, and they all had their worst years—that’s not a coincidence.

The point is, every team has a bunch of one-year players and role players filling out the bottom of their roster, moving from team to team. Jerry’s not the only one who does this. I know you’re quick to criticize him and claim he operates differently, but it’s really the same as what most teams do.

Take Kansas City, for example. If you break down their free agent spending, you’ll see they’ve traded away some of their better players without a solid backup plan, similar to what we did in 2018 with the wide receiver-by-committee approach. Yes, they’ve won a lot of Super Bowls, but they’re not the all-in, aggressive team people make them out to be. They’ve taken some of our leftovers—like Wilson and Hitchens—but have also let key players walk. That’s why they’re in their current spot: they let their two best corners go and now they’re scrambling for role players, just like the Cowboys did.

Sometimes the Jerry hate goes overboard. With those hate goggles on, it’s easy to forget that most of the league operates this way.

They’re not like the Rams, Eagles, or the occasional team that takes a big swing. I’m not saying they shouldn’t try that once in a while, but most teams care about the cap and budget, make tough roster decisions, and deal with holdouts, franchise tags, and fifth-year options.

I know Jerry’s not popular, and I’m not defending him, but it’s really not as different as people make it out to be. I see it all the time—folks make excuses, backtrack, and try to explain why this case is somehow unique. But plenty of ex-players our fans thought were terrible and should never play again end up on other teams. Same goes for coaches—anyone who thought Matt Eberflus would be out of work for long was wrong. He’s now with a better team, a better organization. Ironic, isn’t it? He landed in a better place. And to be clear, I agreed he needed to go—what happened was beyond a disaster, worse than that movie about all those trains crashing into each other at full speed.

From my perspective, about 90% of the league operates pretty much the same way, but occasionally you have those who swing for the fences—going all in with aggressive, budget-busting moves. Over the last two offseasons, I’ve got to give Jerry some credit for being more aggressive and getting ahead of things, even if it didn’t always work out. This offseason, he’s made the effort—it’s not his fault they didn’t land Crosby, Dean, or Walker—but that aggressive mindset could still lead to surprises and moves before the season starts. It might not be exactly what the fan base wants, but I’ve noticed subtle changes over the past two years. Last year didn’t pan out, but they kept that approach through midseason, making trades, and so far this year they’ve stayed aggressive. Just because some deals didn’t work out doesn’t mean they’ve gone down with the ship—they’ve thrown caution to the wind and are operating a bit differently, in my opinion.

Yes, it is wrong. Didn't read the rest, too much gibberish.

 

[blueblood70]

Yes, it is wrong. Didn't read the rest, too much gibberish.

You are entitled to your opinion even though your opinion is 100 percent wrong.. Thanks for playing Yup you're wrong 0 i'm wrong no you're wrong we can do this all day that's the Internet buddy...

 

[CowboyFanInLexKy]

Correct. And Jerry is absolutely the worst at evaluating CBs. He has consistently overpaid them.

Look at Diggs. I don't care how many picks you have, the primary objective of any CB is to stop the WR from catching the ball. In Diggs's career year w/ 11 picks, he was the worst CB in the NFL at allowing catches/yards. That means he is not doing his job, period. You absolutely do not pay a CB who allows the most yards of any CB in the NFL. It was blatantly stupid.

However, as most fans are, they are blinded by flash. Chicks dig the long ball.

Jerry is also blinded by flash.

 

[Mobinvans]

In Free Agency you have to spend money to get good players

Jerry’s boy wonder son doesn’t like that

 

[kskboys]

You are entitled to your opinion even though your opinion is 100 percent wrong.. Thanks for playing Yup you're wrong 0 i'm wrong no you're wrong we can do this all day that's the Internet buddy...

Especially when you're not interested in examining your own thoughts!!!

 

[ArtClink]

Stop trying to convince me my thought process was wrong, because it’s not.

I’m literally explaining that all these guys, including Trey Lance and sometimes players who get shipped out like Nahshon Wright, and others people didn’t like such as Woods or Awuzie, are in the same boat. The guys we brought in last year—fine, we get it—but those draft picks you’re talking about are nothing, absolutely nothing. They do what other teams do: bring guys in and hope they can work out at least as role players. It wasn’t Elim’s fault; he was in a bad defense with no pass rush and a defensive coordinator who didn’t want to create one. It was a horrible defense, and not one player who started the year on the roster looked good. Most of the defense was terrible, and they all had their worst years—that’s not a coincidence.

The point is, every team has a bunch of one-year players and role players filling out the bottom of their roster, moving from team to team. Jerry’s not the only one who does this. I know you’re quick to criticize him and claim he operates differently, but it’s really the same as what most teams do.

Take Kansas City, for example. If you break down their free agent spending, you’ll see they’ve traded away some of their better players without a solid backup plan, similar to what we did in 2018 with the wide receiver-by-committee approach. Yes, they’ve won a lot of Super Bowls, but they’re not the all-in, aggressive team people make them out to be. They’ve taken some of our leftovers—like Wilson and Hitchens—but have also let key players walk. That’s why they’re in their current spot: they let their two best corners go and now they’re scrambling for role players, just like the Cowboys did.

Sometimes the Jerry hate goes overboard. With those hate goggles on, it’s easy to forget that most of the league operates this way.

They’re not like the Rams, Eagles, or the occasional team that takes a big swing. I’m not saying they shouldn’t try that once in a while, but most teams care about the cap and budget, make tough roster decisions, and deal with holdouts, franchise tags, and fifth-year options.

I know Jerry’s not popular, and I’m not defending him, but it’s really not as different as people make it out to be. I see it all the time—folks make excuses, backtrack, and try to explain why this case is somehow unique. But plenty of ex-players our fans thought were terrible and should never play again end up on other teams. Same goes for coaches—anyone who thought Matt Eberflus would be out of work for long was wrong. He’s now with a better team, a better organization. Ironic, isn’t it? He landed in a better place. And to be clear, I agreed he needed to go—what happened was beyond a disaster, worse than that movie about all those trains crashing into each other at full speed.

From my perspective, about 90% of the league operates pretty much the same way, but occasionally you have those who swing for the fences—going all in with aggressive, budget-busting moves. Over the last two offseasons, I’ve got to give Jerry some credit for being more aggressive and getting ahead of things, even if it didn’t always work out. This offseason, he’s made the effort—it’s not his fault they didn’t land Crosby, Dean, or Walker—but that aggressive mindset could still lead to surprises and moves before the season starts. It might not be exactly what the fan base wants, but I’ve noticed subtle changes over the past two years. Last year didn’t pan out, but they kept that approach through midseason, making trades, and so far this year they’ve stayed aggressive. Just because some deals didn’t work out doesn’t mean they’ve gone down with the ship—they’ve thrown caution to the wind and are operating a bit differently, in my opinion.

 

[Bobhaze]

Stop trying to convince me my thought process was wrong, because it’s not.

I’m literally explaining that all these guys, including Trey Lance and sometimes players who get shipped out like Nahshon Wright, and others people didn’t like such as Woods or Awuzie, are in the same boat. The guys we brought in last year—fine, we get it—but those draft picks you’re talking about are nothing, absolutely nothing. They do what other teams do: bring guys in and hope they can work out at least as role players. It wasn’t Elim’s fault; he was in a bad defense with no pass rush and a defensive coordinator who didn’t want to create one. It was a horrible defense, and not one player who started the year on the roster looked good. Most of the defense was terrible, and they all had their worst years—that’s not a coincidence.

The point is, every team has a bunch of one-year players and role players filling out the bottom of their roster, moving from team to team. Jerry’s not the only one who does this. I know you’re quick to criticize him and claim he operates differently, but it’s really the same as what most teams do.

Take Kansas City, for example. If you break down their free agent spending, you’ll see they’ve traded away some of their better players without a solid backup plan, similar to what we did in 2018 with the wide receiver-by-committee approach. Yes, they’ve won a lot of Super Bowls, but they’re not the all-in, aggressive team people make them out to be. They’ve taken some of our leftovers—like Wilson and Hitchens—but have also let key players walk. That’s why they’re in their current spot: they let their two best corners go and now they’re scrambling for role players, just like the Cowboys did.

Sometimes the Jerry hate goes overboard. With those hate goggles on, it’s easy to forget that most of the league operates this way.

They’re not like the Rams, Eagles, or the occasional team that takes a big swing. I’m not saying they shouldn’t try that once in a while, but most teams care about the cap and budget, make tough roster decisions, and deal with holdouts, franchise tags, and fifth-year options.

I know Jerry’s not popular, and I’m not defending him, but it’s really not as different as people make it out to be. I see it all the time—folks make excuses, backtrack, and try to explain why this case is somehow unique. But plenty of ex-players our fans thought were terrible and should never play again end up on other teams. Same goes for coaches—anyone who thought Matt Eberflus would be out of work for long was wrong. He’s now with a better team, a better organization. Ironic, isn’t it? He landed in a better place. And to be clear, I agreed he needed to go—what happened was beyond a disaster, worse than that movie about all those trains crashing into each other at full speed.

From my perspective, about 90% of the league operates pretty much the same way, but occasionally you have those who swing for the fences—going all in with aggressive, budget-busting moves. Over the last two offseasons, I’ve got to give Jerry some credit for being more aggressive and getting ahead of things, even if it didn’t always work out. This offseason, he’s made the effort—it’s not his fault they didn’t land Crosby, Dean, or Walker—but that aggressive mindset could still lead to surprises and moves before the season starts. It might not be exactly what the fan base wants, but I’ve noticed subtle changes over the past two years. Last year didn’t pan out, but they kept that approach through midseason, making trades, and so far this year they’ve stayed aggressive. Just because some deals didn’t work out doesn’t mean they’ve gone down with the ship—they’ve thrown caution to the wind and are operating a bit differently, in my opinion.

I’m not trying to convince you that you’re wrong. I was just sharing some factual information about Elam to give some context.

You’re welcome to believe whatever you want here. It’s an opinion forum.

 

[blueblood70]

I’m not trying to convince you that you’re wrong. I was just sharing some factual information about Elam to give some context.

You’re welcome to believe whatever you want here. It’s an opinion forum.

It’s a general trend across the entire NFL that teams are constantly picking up and moving players around, often for a long time, filling out the bottom of the roster. Like Jimmie Johnson said, it’s about churning the roster in search of a diamond in the rough or a player who finally figures it out—like Nayshan Wright, who wasn’t that guy when he left here, and is maybe a bit overrated now. Players like Elam can have the light come on at any time, and all teams do this. Ex-players bounce between teams, as do coaches. This isn’t just a Jerry Jones thing—it’s standard in the NFL, yet it gets pointed out here like Jerry’s the only one doing it. And really, it doesn’t matter if he gave up a few old, low draft picks.

Jerry was trying to do the same thing. It’s not unusual to give up draft picks and have the player not work out, or to overpay in a trade, but he’s also pulled off great moves, like getting George Pickens, and even bringing in Brandon Cooks and Gilmore in the same season for fifth-round picks. This stuff is normal—we just focus so much on the Cowboys because we’re right in the mix, and every little move they make gets magnified tenfold. People make mountains out of molehills, but it happens all over the league.

It’s funny how many former players end up on good teams—like I said, Hitchens and Wilson left here, were seen as average or underperforming, and then bam, they’re on a Super Bowl team. That’s the point—this gets turned into a Jerry Jones thing because he’s his own GM, so every decision is assumed to be wrong and unique to him, as if no one else in the NFL makes these same mistakes. If we had a “regular” GM, people act like none of this would happen.

Or would they?

As much as some dislike the Parsons trade, you can look at what the Mavericks did with Luka—completely under the table, shady, and they got robbed. They could have had the league bid for his services and gotten twice the compensation, but that was a regular GM move. You might say he could be fired and changes made, and sure, that happened—but a year later. Maybe he should’ve been fired on the spot for such a big mistake, but the ownership approved it. Jerry says he doesn’t need a middleman because he makes the final call to approve or reject these decisions. I’m not saying I agree with him either; I honestly don’t care who owns the team or who the GM is.

Mistakes happen, good and bad moves are made, drafts and free-agent signings are a gamble—there’s no true blueprint.

People talk about a blueprint, but there isn’t one, because most of the league doesn’t do what the Rams and Eagles did. Sure, Seattle and New England made a few extra moves, but when you compare rosters, the Cowboys were paying just as much—more for a quarterback, more for a receiver, and more for some offensive linemen. More moves could have been made, and this year they missed out on Crosby and Dean, their targets.

They haven’t pivoted yet, but they’re trying. That’s just how it is in the NFL. Jerry’s made plenty of bad decisions, and I don’t agree with most of them, but he’s not alone—most of the league manages the cap the same way. I just hope the things they’ve done over the last two offseasons pay off.

 

[kskboys]

It’s a general trend across the entire NFL that teams are constantly picking up and moving players around, often for a long time, filling out the bottom of the roster. Like Jimmie Johnson said, it’s about churning the roster in search of a diamond in the rough or a player who finally figures it out—like Nayshan Wright, who wasn’t that guy when he left here, and is maybe a bit overrated now. Players like Elam can have the light come on at any time, and all teams do this. Ex-players bounce between teams, as do coaches. This isn’t just a Jerry Jones thing—it’s standard in the NFL, yet it gets pointed out here like Jerry’s the only one doing it. And really, it doesn’t matter if he gave up a few old, low draft picks.

Jerry was trying to do the same thing. It’s not unusual to give up draft picks and have the player not work out, or to overpay in a trade, but he’s also pulled off great moves, like getting George Pickens, and even bringing in Brandon Cooks and Gilmore in the same season for fifth-round picks. This stuff is normal—we just focus so much on the Cowboys because we’re right in the mix, and every little move they make gets magnified tenfold. People make mountains out of molehills, but it happens all over the league.

It’s funny how many former players end up on good teams—like I said, Hitchens and Wilson left here, were seen as average or underperforming, and then bam, they’re on a Super Bowl team. That’s the point—this gets turned into a Jerry Jones thing because he’s his own GM, so every decision is assumed to be wrong and unique to him, as if no one else in the NFL makes these same mistakes. If we had a “regular” GM, people act like none of this would happen.

Or would they?

As much as some dislike the Parsons trade, you can look at what the Mavericks did with Luka—completely under the table, shady, and they got robbed. They could have had the league bid for his services and gotten twice the compensation, but that was a regular GM move. You might say he could be fired and changes made, and sure, that happened—but a year later. Maybe he should’ve been fired on the spot for such a big mistake, but the ownership approved it. Jerry says he doesn’t need a middleman because he makes the final call to approve or reject these decisions. I’m not saying I agree with him either; I honestly don’t care who owns the team or who the GM is.

Mistakes happen, good and bad moves are made, drafts and free-agent signings are a gamble—there’s no true blueprint.

People talk about a blueprint, but there isn’t one, because most of the league doesn’t do what the Rams and Eagles did. Sure, Seattle and New England made a few extra moves, but when you compare rosters, the Cowboys were paying just as much—more for a quarterback, more for a receiver, and more for some offensive linemen. More moves could have been made, and this year they missed out on Crosby and Dean, their targets.

They haven’t pivoted yet, but they’re trying. That’s just how it is in the NFL. Jerry’s made plenty of bad decisions, and I don’t agree with most of them, but he’s not alone—most of the league manages the cap the same way. I just hope the things they’ve done over the last two offseasons pay off.

There's always a blueprint. You really gotta not be paying attention to not see it. Ball control O and interior disruption, that's what wins super bowls.

 

[kskboys]

I’m not trying to convince you that you’re wrong. I was just sharing some factual information about Elam to give some context.

You’re welcome to believe whatever you want here. It’s an opinion forum.

I think he's thinking that if he spews enough no one will read it, so no one will call him incorrect. Only thing I can figure out.