The Cowboys have signed Javonte Williams to a new deal, and now it appears Dallas already has its sights set on finalizing another.
The Dallas Cowboys have hit the ground running this offseason, as work is already underway to improve on Brian Schottenheimer's first year as head coach.
With the Cowboys having two key free agency pieces that need to be signed, in George Pickens and Javonte Williams, Dallas bucked the trend and has already agreed to a deal with Javonte.
A three-year, $24 million deal with $16 million guaranteed is seen as a good piece of business for both team and player.
Now, as free agency approaches, one of Dallas' key offensive weapons is off the market.
But that leaves another alongside Pickens, and that's All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey.
We have spoken at length about the proposed money involved in Aubrey's new deal, in the range of $7 million APY to make him the highest-paid kicker in football.
But we haven't heard anything about Brandon's contract talks.
Until now.
With the scouting combine set to take place in Indianapolis this week, Calvin Watkins, of The Dallas Morning News, spoke with Cowboys COO Stephen Jones about Aubrey's contract.
“We’ve been working on a long-term deal for some time,” Jones said. “We’ve exchanged offers and the goal is to get him signed. We’ll tender him before the deadline if that’s what we have to decide.”
So again, there is something here that catches our attention in the same manner as Williams.
The best thing about Javonte's contract is that it was done quickly and quietly. No media fuss, no nothing.
Now, to see that the Cowboys have been working on Aubrey's deal for a "long time" again hints at the front office working in the shadows to get deals done, not negotiating in public.
That is a big shift in how the franchise operates.
The Cowboys are expected to place a second-round restricted free agent tender on Aubrey, locking him in at about $6 million for the 2026 season (with the deadline to do so March 3) while the two sides work toward a long-term extension that we bet will make him the NFL's highest-paid kicke
The Williams signing was a breath of fresh air for fans because it was so far from the norm they had become accustomed to.
And if Aubrey's deal follows a similar path, then maybe it might hint at Dallas changing its approach, one that hasn't worked in 30 years.
Granted, it is just one deal right now, but with Aubrey hopefully following suit in the coming weeks, the Cowboys could lock away two key pieces, leaving just Pickens to get done.
Maybe leopards do change their spots, after all?