The Cowboys have many needs on the defensive side of the ball, and the offseason must be used to address them.
It's no secret that the Dallas Cowboys have a mountain of work to do on the defensive side of the football for Christian Parker this offseason.
After being one of the worst defenses in football under Matt Eberflus in 2025, the Cowboys know the importance of not allowing that to happen again.
Exactly how the Cowboys approach free agency is going to be a fascinating watch.
Will they swing for the fences (finally), and try to land a big fish? Or will they look to spread their resources and acquire three or four starters who are good but not great players?
Let's not forget, Dallas has two first-round picks to play with as well.
So they can be used in the draft, or one might be used in a trade for a defensive stud (Maxx Crosby?).
But this is all positive talk.
What if the Cowboys don't do any of it?
For Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, his worst-case scenario for Dallas this offseason is the franchise ignores the secondary issues.
"The Dallas Cowboys had a potent offense in 2025, but rarely got enough defensive stops to beat quality opponents," Knox wrote. "Their run defense improved after adding Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, but their pass defense finished as the worst in the league.
"If the Cowboys put too much effort into clearing cap space to retain Pickens and ignore their pass defense, it would keep the offense interesting, but it would be a worst-case scenario for the overall team. Dallas simply isn't going to go deep in the postseason with a lackluster pass rush and a sieve of a secondary."
Right, let's be clear here.
The Cowboys can clear enough cap space to sign Pickens and have the resources to then sign decent players.
So now that's cleared up, onto the rest.
With DaRon Bland's foot issue and Shavon Revel. Jr., hoping to get a full offseason, the Cowboys do have options in the secondary, but not many.
Also, the draft, and someone like safety Caleb Downs would slot straight in and help Parker's defense. Or a free agent signing like Seattle Seahawk Coby Bryant could be an option.
So there are ways the Cowboys can have their cake (keep Pickens) and eat it too (sign free agents), there just has to be a willingness to execute the plan.
And one can only imagine the backlash the front office would face if they sit on their hands yet again this offseason.