Not that they needed any more motivation, but the Cowboys are now out of excuses not to spend this offseason.
The Dallas Cowboys were expected to be players in free agency this offseason, with Brian Schottenheimer's team expected to invest heavily in the defense.
With Jerry Jones' "bust the budget" quote ringing in our ears, it does feel like the Cowboys are going to be a little more aggressive this offseason.
Now, does that mean going after the big fish in free agency like Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson? Maybe.
Or does it mean going after solid, dependable players like Reed Blankenship, Alex Singleton, or Devin Lloyd?
Well, maybe it might mean both.
Why? Because of the latest news from NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
He's reporting that the salary cap is expected to increase, according to a source.
It was $279.2 million last season. In 2026? It is set to be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team.
(1) Tom Pelissero on X: "The NFL informed clubs today it is projecting a 2026 salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million per club, per source. That would represent another significant jump from this year’s $279.2 million cap number, and nearly $100M than the $208.2M cap in 2022. https://t.co/3Mr146H01C" / X
With the Cowboys, as we have explained here multiple times, able to have over $100 million in cap space through various extensions, restructures, and cuts, that alone was enough to get fans excited.
But now we add another $20+ million to the budget, and suddenly, the penny-pinching Cowboys are out of excuses not to spend in free agency.
Again, this doesn't mean they will, because Dallas has a long track record of going after bargain-bin options - some people call it Jerry being "cheap'' - but if the Cowboys were worried about the salary cap before, they don't need to now.
With the need to sign roughly three or four starting-caliber players to Christian Parker's defense, the Cowboys can easily, if they want to, address some of the safety, linebacker, corner, and pass-rusher needs in free agency.
Then, with two first-round picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, the Cowboys have the weaponry to turn this ship around.
Now, can it all be done in one offseason? Not likely.
But with this salary cap increase, the Cowboys, like all other 31 teams, just got more spending power this offseason.
Timing is everything in life. And at a moment where the Cowboys need to spend to overhaul their defense, the NFL just gave them the opportunity to do so.