FRISCO, Texas -- The Cowboys have officially restructured the contracts of QB Dak Prescott and OL Tyler Smith, creating approximately $47 million in cap space ahead of the beginning of free agency next week.
Dallas is also expected to restructure CeeDee Lamb's contract in the near future as well, which would bring the total created cap space up to around $66 million. Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones additionally said that the team will also look into the contracts of their three defensive tackles, Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa, which will free up additional space as well.
At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last week, Jones said he "would bet that we will spend more money in free agency than we have." These contract restructures were expected, and begin to give the Cowboys room to be able to spend that money on experienced players in free agency.
"The only way to push more is for me to go borrow some of my future. Expect me to go borrow some of my future…" Jones said. "I want to do everything we possibly can to stop somebody and to basically win some third downs more than we did last year. So I think that would be the area that you would see me bust the budget."
Jones said he envisioned the Cowboys "being aggressive" in free agency, emphasizing that his team isn't in a position to wait around.
"We can't redshirt a second-round pick," Jones said. "We don't have a second-round pick to begin with, but if we got one, we can't redshirt those guys this year. We gotta go… We got to go this year. We got to have it out there, and when we got to be working it this year."
Given how Dallas' defense performed last season, it's safe to think some of the free agency moves Dallas makes will come on that side of the ball. Jones admitted that turning the defense around into one of the best units in the league in one season "may be a stretch," but that they don't necessarily need to be at the top of the NFL in order to win games late in the season.
"A defense that could support an offense the way that we played at the level last year, and get us into the playoffs, and give us a chance to get good after we get in the playoffs, I see that defense this year. I do. We don't have to do much to get better." Jones said.
"And I'm not trying to be trite, we just don't have to do much but better, just better, would not get it done, in my mind. We've really got to come out and be sound, and I think we've addressed every phase of it, and I think we're very capable of doing not only better, but playing defense at a level that would get us in the playoffs. I believe that, strongly."
