Dallas Cowboys fans were so adamant about this season being the best chance at a Super Bowl, and for good reason.
Dak Prescott was clearly the best passing quarterback in the NFC, and the teams with the best quarterbacks need to capitalize on that talent gap.
Unfortunately, the Cowboys could not capitalize, wilting at home to the 7th-seed Packers like Bluebonnets after a Texas frost.
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One of the main reasons this was the year to strike is because of the list of players entering free agency.
The Cowboys have 16 players with expiring contracts, and many of them are key players for depth and rotation.
Today I’d like to play a little game.
Out of the 16 looming free agents, if we could only pick the top three we’d want to return, which three would they be?
Here are my top three.
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Cowboys LT Tyron Smith
LT Tyron Smith
Some of you may be rolling your eyes reading this one, but hear me out.
Would it shock you to find out that Tyron Smith earned 2nd-team All-Pro in 2023, marking the fifth time he’s been rewarded with that accolade?
It’s also the first time since 2016 that he’s earned that honor.
So what changed?
Mainly it’s been the fact that Dallas decided to give Tyron a veteran rest day from practice essentially the entire season.
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This change in routine saved wear and tear on Tyron’s body so he could perform to the peak of his abilities when it mattered most, during games.
Tyron is getting a little long in the tooth, but he showed us this season he’s still capable of being an elite left tackle.
Tyler Smith also earned All-Pro honors this season playing left guard, and I’d prefer to leave him there instead of kicking him out to left tackle.
Bring Tyron back on a one-year deal and draft the left tackle of the future for him to mentor.
Cowboys CB Stephon Gilmore
CB Stephon Gilmore
Another veteran who I’d like to see get another year in Dallas is CB Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore played solid football in 2023 and was a much-needed veteran presence in a very young secondary room.
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The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year did not earn the accolades this season, but he was a welcome addition to the defense.
This was especially evident when Dallas lost All-Pro CB Trevon Diggs to a torn ACL early in the season.
The Cowboys weren’t able to weather injuries to their cornerback room in 2022, and it was a big part of their exit from the playoffs.
Gilmore brings stability to one of the boundaries and will allow Diggs some time to make a full recovery from his torn ACL without a huge talent drop-off.
Maybe Gilmore will willing to accept a team-friendly deal to avoid moving to his fifth team in the past five years.
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First-team All-Pro DaRon Bland could also use another year of tutoring from one of the best to ever lace up his cleats.
Dallas Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
C Tyler Biadasz
This one is perhaps the most controversial of my picks, but despite Tyler Biadasz’s flaws as a run-blocker, I think it’s important to maintain continuity for Prescott.
It’s easy to underestimate the connection between the center and the quarterback but just think about the history.
Troy Aikman played his best football taking snaps from Mark Stepnoski.
Tony Romo had his most successful years with Travis Frederick in the middle of the line making the calls.
Say what you want about Biadasz, but he’s been that constant for Prescott since he was drafted in 2020.
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He didn’t get the nod for 2023, but Biadasz is just one season removed from his first and only Pro Bowl appearance.
That one accolade might drive his price up a bit, but Dallas should be able to swing a three-year deal to keep Dak comfortable under center.
Ross Tower, a 1.1 million-square-foot, 45-story tower at 500 North Akard Street, appears to be up for sale.
Matt Murphy, the director of Cushman & Wakefield’s Texas office advisory group, said in a LinkedIn post that the tower is being marketed to investors. Ross Tower has recently undergone a modernization through a $14 million capital improvement program that upgraded the building’s elevator system, improved common areas and replaced the cooling tower, according to the post.
The building is 60 percent occupied, according to Murphy, and features tenants like the Dallas Regional Chamber, CoStar, Munsch Hardt and Grant Thornton, according to the Dallas Morning News. The asking price wasn’t listed by Murphy in the LinkedIn post, and the outlet noted that the Dallas Central Appraisal District pegged the property at upwards of $99 million for tax purposes.
Recent bets on Downtown Dallas properties cite their proximity to Uptown, where the city is seeing a flourishing financial district. A key enticement for prospective buyers looking to bolster the tenant roster, according to the post, is that the in place rents are 15 percent below market.
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In the post, Murphy said that the combination of lower rents for class A space, available square footage with companies exiting downtown, and the thriving Uptown Dallas area just a few blocks away, give the tower solid fundamentals for the right buyer.
The tower is currently owned by a partnership that includes Bandera Ventures of Dallas, HPI Real Estate and Second City Real Estate. The joint venture purchased the tower in 2015, and it was renovated in 2018, according to the post.
The tower was named Lincoln Plaza until 2013, and was formerly the headquarters of multinational oilfield products company Halliburton. Ross Tower is the 14th tallest building in the Dallas skyline.
As Uptown’s Y’all Street continues to grow, building owners are beginning to look at cashing in on the influx of new companies as an option. Hillwood Urban is currently exploring a sale of Victory Commons One, who just signed Scotiabank as a new tenant.
— Hunter Cooke
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Trammell Crow Center gets boost from new, extended leases
Hillwood Urban explores sale, refinancing for Scotiabank’s future Y’all Street outpost
Bell Nunnally expands office lease at KPMG Plaza, shows Arts District resilience
DALLAS – After Norway won on Tuesday at Dallas Stadium, its star player has one more stop to make before heading out of town.
Erling Haaland and his teammates visited a Western wear store in the West End.
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It’s already changing things for the store owner.
Y’all can kiss my Dallas
What we know:
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Just hours after the Norway’s star striker helped his team advance in the World Cup, Haaland had one more goal in Texas – becoming a cowboy.
He and several of his teammates visited Wild Bill’s Western Store in Downtown Dallas.
The store’s owners Cody and Julie Newport told FOX 4 they got a heads-up about the special guest and had part of the floor roped off when Haaland walked in.
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He ended up buying multiple hats. He traded cleats for cowboy boots and swapped his jersey for a shirt that says, “Y’all can kiss my Dallas.”
What they’re saying:
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“Did he know anything about cowboy hats?” FOX 4’s Peyton Yager asked the store’s owners.
“No. He knew nothing,” Cody Newport said. “Actually, he was sitting in this chair. And we had someone fit him for a cowboy hat.”
Wild Bill’s owners said Haaland and his teammates gravitated to some of their beautiful exotics.
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Haaland also purchased a buckle with a longhorn for his belt and branded his initials and jersey number onto his purchases.
“He was saying this is literally the only time I have and the only time in Dallas,” Julie Newport recalled. “He had an amazing time, and we gave him that.”
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“We exude the Dallas welcome, the southern hospitality. For him to want to come in and hang out is everything,” Cody Newport said.
Big picture view:
Haaland shared photos of his visit to Wild Bill’s on social media, earning millions of views and likes.
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That “Y’all can kiss my Dallas” shirt is nearly sold out in the store, with many of Haaland’s fans snagging gear of their own. And online sales are rolling in.
The store expects a new shipment of the shirt on Thursday to replenish the racks.
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The owners said that normally their customers are 90% tourists. But after Haaland’s post, they are starting to see customers come in from North Texas.
The Source: FOX 4’s Peyton Yager gathered information for this story by interviewing the owners of Wild Bill’s Western Store in Dallas.
Dallas City Hall has been recognized as one of 10 heritage places included on the World’s Monuments Fund (WMF) “Irreplaceable America” list.
The list highlights significant locations across the United States, ranging from landmarks and colonial buildings to Indigenous heritage sites, that face urgent preservation needs. Dallas City Hall, designed by I.M. Pei, was built following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as part of an effort to rebrand the city and look toward the future.
In addition to being named to the Irreplaceable America list, Dallas City Hall has also been placed on endangered lists by Preservation Texas and Preservation Dallas. As uncertainty remains over whether the building will be renovated or demolished, its inclusion on the Irreplaceable America list comes at a pivotal moment.
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“Dallas City Hall is irreplaceable as a major civic anchor in downtown Dallas,” said Zaida Basora, vice president of the Save Dallas City Hall Coalition and executive director of AIA Dallas, in a press release. “Not only is this an architecturally and historically significant building, but it has all of the elements to serve as a catalyst for the kind of development and revitalization that the southern area of downtown Dallas needs.”
The nationwide open call for nominations resulted in 75 submissions. Nominations were evaluated based on cultural significance, urgency of conservation needs and the potential community benefit of preservation.
The World Monuments Fund is an independent organization dedicated to protecting culturally significant places around the world. For more information about Irreplaceable America, visit the organization’s website.
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Syra Castillo is a recent graduate from Southern Methodist University and is the Lake Highlands Editor. She is a Dallas native and is passionate about local news. She studied English, journalism, and Italian while at SMU. She spends her time with family and tries to discover new places to eat across the city. You can email her at scastillo@advocatemag.com.
