The Dallas Cowboys have long been thought of as one of the NFL's most disciplined franchises when it comes to cap-space spending. As you might've witnessed, that sometimes tentative approach to free agency and reliance on the NFL Draft has limited Dallas' chances of returning to the NFC Championship game, and there is now a near-30-year "drought" as proof of the inefficiency.

But things feel a bit different this season. It was a "selectively aggressive" approach that has gotten Dallas to a place where the playoffs are no longer out of the realm of possibility like they were before.

Now two summers ago, the Cowboys were ripped by their anxious fan base for avoiding signing external free agents, choosing to stick to their home-grown talent and play conservatively with their cap flexibility. That prompted a disappointing 7-10 season and a coaching change as a result of an expiring contract.

This offseason, after head coach Brian Schottenheimer was hired to lead the roster, co-owner and COO Stephen Jones - the de facto general manager in recent seasons as Jerry Jones has grown older - got to work building this roster with a bit of a philosophy shift, focusing less on retaining home-grown talent at all costs and upping the aggressiveness in pursuit of external talent that fits into Schottenheimer's scheme.

The draft-and-develop mantra still breathes life into this roster, as players like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, DeMarvion Overshown and Tyler Smith are examples of how contributing pieces can be acquired on cheap rookie contracts and being foundational members of the team.

But two moves from this season stick out as the most impactful, and the latest examples of Jones a selectively aggressive approach that prioritizes on-field success by any means necessary.

Trading for George Pickens and Quinnen Williams have been among the best transactions of any NFL franchise this season.

Pickens was brought to Dallas as Stephen preached about the search for the Cowboys' "explosive second-option receiver" to pair with All-Pro CeeDee Lamb. The character issues were a notable concern for Pickens in Pittsburgh, but Jones decided to favor the undeniable talent over the risk of locker room tension. The payout has been exponential.

Pickens is second in the NFL in receiving yards entering Week 13, with his performance last week against the Philadelphia Eagles showing Cowboys players that "he's not from here." He's also shown incredible growth in maturity as he's seamlessly adapted to his new surroundings and teammates.

It didn't take much to pry Pickens away from the Steelers, but the overwhelming need on the roster was enough to urge Jones to make the gamble instead of playing things safe. The result has been arguably the best "second-option" - or overall wide receiver - in the entire league.

The Cowboys have led the league in yards per game for much of the season. Who knows where that offensive firepower would have come from if it weren't for the addition of Pickens.

On the defense, we are in the midst of seeing a turnaround with the addition of Williams, who Dallas swiped in a highly-scrutinized trade with the New York Jets where Jones unloaded a future first-round pick in a hefty package to bring the former All-Pro to The Star.

That return on investment has been equally as valuable, and it's most notable given the nature of an in-season acquisition that has seemingly turned Dallas into one of the league's worst defenses to start the year to something drastically more competitive - which just might be enough to allow this high-powered offense a chance to win more games.

Similar to the offseason addressing the receiver corps, there was recognition of a void in the run game defense, and rather than sit idly and let things play out, Jones attacked the opportunity to improve the team, with the potential payout outweighing the risk.

The last time the Joneses sent away a first-round draft pick was in 2018 when wide receiver Amari Cooper became Prescott's newest star target, which kickstarted the Cowboys on a 7-2 run to end the season in the playoffs and carry that momentum into a Wild Card win.

Now Williams is projecting to make as much impact. Dallas' first two-game winning streak of the year has come in the two weeks since Williams' addition, with the 300-pound interior defensive lineman playing some of the best football of his career and wrecking opposing offensive lines in the process. Williams leads the NFL in pressures since being traded to Dallas. Simply his presence alone has been enough for the rest of the Cowboys pass rushers to have space to operate and find success.

That momentum was best seen when Williams led a unit that completely shut down the reigning Super Bowl champions in the second half in Week 12, opening up the lanes for the offense to complete the largest comeback in franchise history.

Williams leads the NFL in pressures since being traded to Dallas. Simply his presence alone has been enough for the rest of the Cowboys pass rushers to have space to operate and find success. 

The product is improving on the field, but the work remains far from done for Jones when it comes to retaining this talent for the years to come. Williams is under contractual control by Dallas for the foreseeable future, but there may be some adjustments that need to be made in order to fit his over $20 million salary into an expensive D-line that includes the likes of high-priced tackles Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark.

Pickens' rookie contract will end at the end of this season, and the fourth-year wideout has greatly increased his next expected salary from this breakout year. Keeping "GP" in Dallas with Lamb is paramount for the Cowboys keeping things chugging for an offense that could be running out of years with Prescott under center.

Most of all, these next moves need to be made because of how much success they've generated since being done. Dallas' mentality shift in how cap space and assets are managed may finally be revealing what's possible when "selective aggressiveness" is put to action.