Cowboys' latest free agency projections isn't intriguing

Jerry Jones has long said that he'll do anything to make a Super Bowl trophy in Dallas a reality again. 

He says he'll "bust the budget" after back-to-back 7-win seasons and consecutive missed playoffs, but promises from Jerry Jones and actual roster-changing moves are two very different things.

The latest projection from ESPN does not excite Cowboys fans. With the outlook looking bleak, the Cowboys will remain inactive during the free agency period.

Sitting out the major part of free agency is generally the Cowboys' M.O. Dallas came into this week $56 million over the cap before restructuring Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Tyler Smith to become cap-compliant, and owner Jerry Jones said the team intends to spend more money in free agency.

But Dallas has less flexibility than most, is low on cap space in 2027 and Jones has a history of making bold proclamations and falling short of them.

It appears that the franchise has made significant efforts to create roster space by restructuring the contracts of Prescott, Lamb, and Tyler Smith. While Dallas has freed up approximately $66 million, it still only has about $11 million in actual salary cap room as it heads into free agency. 

The last Cowboys dynasty ended in 1996. Three decades later, their biggest offseason move is depth signings and restructured deals. 

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