“I told them it’s no fun to just defend,” he said. “I think our team is really good without the puck. We are very good without the puck, but it is more fun to play with the puck, and that was really the message here. We have to do some things holding on to pucks and start to get our forecheck and get our feet moving through the neutral zone so that we can play with it. I mean, who wants to defend all night? So, that was the message there and it’s been the message for about a month. Let’s get better with it and do some more things with it.”

If the Dallas Cowboys want to improve their defense in 2026, they simply cannot miss on whoever it is they bring in to play opposite Rashan Gary along the edge.

Gary in and of himself is a question mark after having a lackluster second half of last season, which is likely why the Green Bay Packers were interested in trading him in the first place.

If Gary disappoints again and the Cowboys fail to adequately put a player or players in place to cover for that, Dallas will be right back to square one, when they finished tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL last season.

Analyst proposes Haason Reddick signing

In an article suggesting landing spots for the best remaining free agents, Pro Football and Sports Network’s Alex Kennedy linked Dallas to former Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher, Haason Reddick.

“Coming off of two disappointing seasons in a row, it’s unlikely that Reddick can return to the Pro Bowl form that turned heads in Philadelphia,” he said. “That said, among the 123 edge rushers qualified for EDGEi scoring last season, he still ended the year above average, ranking No. 36 overall.”

Reddick appeared in 13 games last season and posted just 2.5 sacks while adding 34 pressures. He finished with Pro Football Focus grades of 60.1 in the pass-rush and 45.2 in run defense.

A risk the Cowboys shouldn’t take

Kennedy spells out exactly why the Cowboys shouldn’t rely on the two-time Pro Bowler. There was a time when Reddick was as consistent as they come, but those days are likely over.

After posting four double-digit sack seasons in a row, Reddick has just 3.5 the past two seasons, including one sack in 2024 and 2.5 in 2025. He missed four contests in 2025 with knee and ankle injuries.

Set to turn 32 in September, chances are a rebound isn’t coming and Reddick’s best days are behind him. The only real positive is Reddick would come cheap on a one-year deal, but not even that should be enough for the Cowboys to take a swing on him unless Dallas finds itself in the most desperate of situations.

What the Cowboys should do

We’d much rather see the Cowboys opt for players who have shown signs of life in recent years, even aging stars like Cam Jordan and Von Miller, who posted 10.5 and nine sacks, respectively, last season.

Then, there’s Jadeveon Clowney, who the Cowboys seem to think isn’t a fit in Christian Parker’s defense. However, Clowney doesn’t agree and as we’ve explained, the former No. 1 overall pick does have experience playing in the kind of scheme Parker deploys.

“It’s interesting to hear that a shift to 3-4 principles could be the reason Clowney doesn’t return to Dallas. While he did excel in a four-man front during the 2025 season, Clowney has spent more of his career in a 3-4 front than any other,” our own Randy Gurzi explained last month.

“He spent five seasons in Houston, playing in the 3-4 with the Texans and one with the Baltimore Ravens. He also had some time in a hybrid system, including one year with the Tennessee Titans and one with the Carolina Panthers,” Gurzi added.

Of course, we’d prefer a blockbuster addition like Maxx Crosby, for example, but that kind of move just doesn’t seem to be in the cards right now.

Along with an EDGE pick on Day 1 or 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, we’d feel good about the Cowboys’ edge rusher situation if they can also sign any one of Clowney, Miller or Jordan.

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Victor Wembanyama had 40 points and 13 rebounds in his 65th game to become eligible for NBA awards, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks 139-120 on Friday night.

De’Aaron Fox had 18 points and 10 assists and Keldon Johnson had 17 points for San Antonio.

Rookie Cooper Flagg had 33 points, six rebounds and five assists for Dallas, which has lost 11 of 13.

After opening the season with a 40-point game against Dallas, Wembanyama reached 40 for the fifth time in what could be his regular-season finale.

The NBA requires a minimum of 65 games played to be eligible for season-long awards and Wembanyama got there in San Antonio’s penultimate game.

The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama, who leads the league with 197 blocks, is favored to win Defensive Player of the Year, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

He missed Wednesday’s 112-101 victory over Portland after suffering a left rib contusion during the first half of Monday’s 115-102 win over Philadelphia.

Wembanyama quickly showed he was fine by stepping through three defenders to throw down a right-handed dunk to open the scoring. He added another dunk and a step-back 3-pointer while scoring 16 points in the opening period.

The Spurs won the Southwest Division for the first time since 2017 and have secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. San Antonio opens the postseason against a team that makes it through the play-in tournament — either Phoenix, the Los Angeles Clippers or Portland.

San Antonio closes its regular season at home Sunday against Denver.

Spurs guard Stephon Castle remains out with left foot soreness. Coach Mitch Johnson said Castle is close to returning.