If you want some insight into how the Cowboys are thinking heading into free agency Monday, consider the trade they didn’t make this weekend.

The Cowboys were interested in star edge rusher Maxx Crosby before the Las Vegas Raiders sent him to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks. Dallas offered one of its first-round picks in this year’s draft and a second-round pick in 2027, a person familiar with the team’s thinking told The Dallas Morning News.

In doing so, the Cowboys made it known how willing — or unwilling — they were to go to get a premium defender.

It’s no secret the Cowboys have a lot to do this offseason. That’s especially true on defense, where the Cowboys are tasked with rebuilding the league’s worst defense from a year ago. It’s factual, as well, that there are many ways the Cowboys could approach this offseason.

Here are 10 steps the Cowboys can take toward achieving a perfect offseason — at least in our eyes.

1. Don’t be tempted by Trey

The Seattle Seahawks had a dominant defense a year ago. It’s a major reason they won the Super Bowl. Fun fact: that defense also had just one player with a contract with an annual value over $20 million per year. The Cowboys, meanwhile, had three such players on their defense last season.

The point: sometimes it’s more about the collective than adding one high-priced, yet very good, free agent. That’s especially true for the Cowboys.

Trey Hendrickson is going to have a big market. Interested teams have waited for the opportunity to sign him for years. Spotrac projects his market value at $25.4 million, and there’s a chance his final deal goes above that.

The Cowboys aren’t one instant-impact free agent away from improving this defense. They need more than that.

2. Make Alontae Taylor the main target

New Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker wants a versatile defense. He’ll need versatile chess pieces, especially in the secondary. Saints corner Alontae Taylor could be that chess piece. Taylor can play in the slot and outside. He also hasn’t missed a game in the last three seasons, lowering the injury risk for a secondary that has a bunch of it.

Taylor won’t come cheap. Spotrac gives him a market value over $11 million, though he could sign for more. The Cowboys haven’t waded into waters like that for a free agent in some time — but they should in this case.

3. Get your green dot

The Cowboys are on the hunt for someone to play alongside linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. They want someone who can be their green-dot Mike linebacker to get everyone aligned in Parker’s defense. It makes sense, then, that Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean will be one of their targets, multiple people familiar with the team’s thinking have indicated.

Dean understands the system, he fits what they’re looking for next to the speedy Overshown, and he can be a valuable blitzer. The one problem: he’s been injury-prone recently. That’s why he shouldn’t be the only linebacker they acquire this offseason — but he should be the first. Former Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke could be another option higher in the market.

4. Targets at safety

It’s become obvious that this year’s safety draft class has the chance to produce a good amount of quality starters. Whether it’s Caleb Downs early, or TCU’s Bud Clark on Day 2, there are good options. That should also push down the price for some veteran safety free agents. The Cowboys should take advantage and double-dip. It’ll be interesting to see the market for former Eagles safety Reed Blankenship. Another affordable option could be Denver’s P.J. Locke. Both have familiarity with Parker.

5. Don’t put more holes in the boat

One of the popular external conversations since the end of the season has been about veteran safety Malik Hooker and right tackle Terence Steele. The Cowboys could save $20 million in cap space by releasing both and designating them as post-June 1 cuts. While tempting, don’t expect the Cowboys to be in the business of adding more holes to a boat they’re trying to fix. They also lack known entities behind them worth entrusting.

6. Use No. 12 on best corner or edge rusher

Remember when I brought up Seattle? Part of the Seahawks’ success has come from drafting well on defense. The Cowboys haven’t drafted well on defense in a while. They need to hit on their 12th pick and they need to do it at a vital position like corner or edge. If one of the elite edge rushers falls and is there, take them. If Mansoor Delane from LSU is there, sprint to the podium. It’ll be hard to find affordable, quality options at both positions in free agency, making it more important to get one at the draft. Stick at No. 12 and pick there.

7. Trade back from No. 20

As for Dallas’ second first-round pick, I’d recommend moving back to get more Day 2 selections. The Cowboys don’t have any after trading for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and George Pickens last year. It’s easier said than done, of course, but if a team is willing to move up and offer multiple picks to do so, then the Cowboys should be willing. People familiar with the team’s thinking have said they want to get back into Day 2. That portion of the draft, the second and third rounds, is very dense in talent this year. The Cowboys have a ton of holes on defense, but they could remedy those problems with more selections.

8. Let free agents test market

The Cowboys have nearly 20 free agents of their own. Outside of a few exceptions, and outside of exclusive rights free agents like corners Josh Butler and Reddy Steward, it would be wise for the Cowboys to let them hit the market. Dallas needs a clean slate on defense.

9. Extend Quinnen Williams (and do something with Kenny Clark, too)

The Cowboys already restructured the deals for wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, left guard Tyler Smith and quarterback Dak Prescott. More moves to open up cap space should be expected, as well. The two logical areas are the contracts for Williams and Clark. Both have over a $21 million cap hit for next season. That has to change. For Williams, I’d get ahead of things and sign him to a major extension now. He’s one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL and should be a cornerstone for this defense. Pay him like it. Clark could be an extension or pay-cut candidate. His cap hit can’t be that high if the Cowboys want to make the moves they’re motivated to make.

10. Let situations with Aubrey, Pickens play out

Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey indicated this week he’s open to seeing what the market looks like for him as a restricted free agent. The Cowboys have had an offer on the table that would make him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL, eclipsing Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who makes $6.4 million per year. No deal has been consummated, however, resulting in the Cowboys placing a second-round tender on Aubrey worth around $5.8 million.

If a team wants Aubrey they’ll have to sign him to a record deal and give up a second-round pick for him — a price that is unlikely to be met.

The Cowboys have every reason to let Aubrey’s situation play out. The same can be said for George Pickens. The Cowboys placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Pickens, worth just under $28 million a year. Pickens is worth more than that, but how much? The market should give some indication, but just like Aubrey, the price will likely be too high for other teams. The Cowboys would get two first-round picks if someone agreed to a deal with Pickens and the Cowboys elected not to match.

The Cowboys have leverage in both situations. Aubrey and Pickens have some, too: they’re both Pro Bowl players and their services would be missed.

I know, I know: Is it worth having more offseason contract drama? In this case, for the Cowboys, it probably is.

Dallas Cowboys place second-round tender on kicker Brandon Aubrey

The Cowboys have yet to come to an extension with Aubrey, who has been an All-Pro in each of his first three seasons.

Maxx Crosby heading to Ravens, who send 2 first-round draft picks to Raiders, reports say

Baltimore wins out on the Crosby sweepstakes, a player reportedly targeted by the Dallas Cowboys.

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

Election headlines

Recent headlines: Dallas Morning News, Wednesday, “Hundreds of Voters Turned Away at Polls” and ”Residents frustrated after being redirected to their assigned sites.”

The Texas Tribune, Wednesday, “In Dallas County, frustration and confusion after GOP forces switch to precinct-based voting.”

VoteBeat Texas, Tuesday, “Primary voters frustrated and confused after Dallas County switches to precinct-based voting.”

All this despite the Dallas County Commissioner’s Court spending $1 million on a voter outreach campaign to alert voters to the changes.

Thanks, Dallas County Republicans, you’ve wasted our time and money!

Kimberly Farrar, Richardson

An egregious fraud

Having recently voted in the 2026 Texas primary elections, I should feel a degree of satisfaction for meeting my civic duty and my obligation as a U.S. citizen. Why is it that I feel as if I am perpetuating an egregious fraud?

The rules governing this election obligate me to declare that I am either a Democrat or a Republican before I am allowed to participate. I am neither. What are my options?

I can play along, pick a side and vote for the candidates on my ballot that I truly support while being unable to express that same support for other candidates because their names do not appear. Or I can join the vast majority of my fellow citizens and choose not to participate at all.

I was always taught that in a democracy, elections are fair and free. How can elections be considered fair when (by rule) the names of half of the candidates are not even on my ballot?

May the best candidate win, even if I was never given the chance to vote for him/her.

Wayne Hardey, northwest Dallas/Disney Streets

Needs more transparency

Re: “City Hall debate is a rerun of AAC debacle — We need to slow down, insist on transparency and get this right,” by Laura Miller, Wednesday Opinion.

Laura Miller is right about everything! There isn’t enough transparency about the deal with City Hall. The iconic building is unique and one of a kind and should be repaired and preserved.

I.M. Pei personally mixed the concrete to a specific color to appear warm in the Texas sun. The city council should be ashamed of allowing the building to get into such bad shape.

Paul Taylor, Dallas/Oak Lawn

No Cowboys Stadium in Dallas

If my memory serves, Laura Miller singlehandedly quashed Jerry Jones’ desire to build Cowboys Stadium in downtown Dallas. The tremendous benefits Dallas residents would have received were innumerable, and it would have enhanced property values in an area that desperately needed that.

I find it ironic that Miller is opining on anything related to building in Dallas.

Michael DeMott, Frisco

Laura Miller had the right idea

I grew up in Plano, and I live in Richardson now, so I’ve been observing Dallas up close for nearly seven decades. One thing that sticks out is that Dallas is really good at building glitzy shiny structures, but it’s not good at taking care of them.

I read about City Hall, the futuristic building built in 1978 that is becoming unusable largely due to lack of maintenance. Now, they are trying to decide if the building is worth saving, or do they need to build yet another. They build designer bridges, but can’t fix streets and can’t replace aging water lines.

One of the things I learned in business is to make sure what you have is right and is working properly before branching out into new ventures. It’s that way with infrastructure.

Infrastructure isn’t glamorous, but we certainly notice when it fails. It’s crucial to a modern city.

Years ago, Miller ran for mayor partly on a platform of fixing Dallas’ aging infrastructure. She was ridiculed as the “pothole mayor.” I think she had the right idea.

Steven Ritchey, Richardson

Not a fan of Texas Ranger statue

Re: “’One Riot, One Ranger’ statue finds new home — Sculpture removed from Love Field in 2020 now at Globe Life Field,” Tuesday Metro & Business story.

As a 50-year fan of the Texas Rangers baseball club, I was extremely disappointed to learn of the relocation of the banished Texas Ranger statue to Globe Life Field. The statue was removed from Love Field for the systemic racist history it represents, as the Rangers are well known for abusing minorities, especially the Mexican-American communities.

Given the ongoing ICE raids and roundups of anyone who looks brown or black, the statue’s new location at the ballpark is questionable at best and insulting at worst to the large Latino fan base the Ranger baseball team enjoys.

The public relations office really struck out with this boneheaded idea. They should have read some Texas history or the book, Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers.

Tony Torres, Garland

Love letter to Dallas

My most perfect day. I was high up in the mountains and came upon a green pasture filled with wildflowers, including beautiful columbines. There on my left was a worn-down home and Aspen trees, glittering silver to green in the cool gentle wind. And on the ridge before me was a full-grown porcupine just wandering across, coming from the Aspens and heading to the snowcapped mountains. I was 14 and it was a perfect day, time and moment.

Hold unto these moments. You never know when they can come around. The summer days lumbered on, like the porcupine, but way too quick, it was back to school. Back to W. T. White among my friends.

I miss my youth in Dallas. Times in the creek on hot summer days. Crawling under the wired fence to watch Jesuit High School games, a snowball fight with Dallas police and so much more.

This is my love letter to Dallas.

James K. Waghorne, Wichita Falls

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