The Cowboys have moved differently since Brian Schottenheimer was announced as head coach, and the winds of change have been noticeable.
Nothing invokes more fear, trepidation, and nervousness in fans than a Dallas Cowboys offseason.
With saga after saga being played out in the public eye, most fans look towards the offseason not with excitement over what the team could become, but rather what the next headline will be that will be used as a punchline in jokes for the franchise.
Last season, it was the Micah Parsons trade, which sucked all the air out of the fan base after a rather positive offseason. The year prior, it was CeeDee Lamb holding out, and the year before that, it was Dak Prescott's contract.
All three sagas drained the fan base and had many thinking when it will end.
Well, whisper is quietly, but maybe it just did.
In Brian Schottenheimer's second season as head coach, the franchise has moved differently than in years prior. From the coordinator search that led them to Christian Parker, to free agency approach, and then the NFL Draft, it can be hard to fault Dallas right now.
But perhaps the biggest thing that has changed, at least from my perspective, is that as we turn for May, there is no big, dark contract cloud looming over the franchise.
Yes, you read that right. Nothing.
The Cowboys signed All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey to a four-year, $28 million deal, making him the highest-paid kicker in football.
No saga here.
Then the George Pickens situation.
The Pro Bowl receiver finally put pen to paper on his franchise tag that will see him earn $27.3 million in 2026, unless he signs a long-term deal before the July 15 deadline.
So, as we sit here right now, about to enter May, the Cowboys could very well have a drama-free offseason.
Yes, I get it. That in itself is a scary proposition, as we know, Jerry Jones and his love for keeping the Cowboys relevant. But the franchise has gone through its offseason checklist and ticked off all of its items by May.
That, my friends, is a big shift in how the franchise usually carries itself.
There's been no public back-and-forth over contracts. The franchise has addressed the roster holes in the right manner, and there's no drama.
It's oddly unsettling.
So much so that you could be forgiven for thinking what Jerry will do to mess this good thing up.