The waiting game continues on mega-deal for Micah Parsons.
The Dallas Cowboys have not held contract talks with star pass rusher Micah Parsons about an extension, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Dallas Morning News.
Parsons enters the final year of his five-year rookie contract scheduled to make $24.007 million. Team officials typically begin contract talks with player agents at the NFL scouting combine, which starts Monday in Indianapolis.
Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowler who has twice been named to the All-Pro team, has 52.5 sacks in four seasons. He’s considered one of the top pass rushers in the NFL.
This is the biggest contract decision the team will have to make this offseason. It’s also the second consecutive year where the team most likely will sign a player to one of the largest contracts in the league.
Team officials have expressed strong interest in extending Parsons, with team owner Jerry Jones saying he might get a large contract extension.
Parsons has repeatedly said he would like to get an extension sooner rather than later to avoid a possible holdout, something the Cowboys dealt with last summer with receiver CeeDee Lamb and the previous year with guard Zack Martin, who this week informed the club of his intention to retire.
Both players received raises.
The Hall of Famer has some different ideas for the offense in Dallas.
Smith was a tough running back. He played through multiple injuries during his career, including helping the Cowboys beat the New York Giants in the 1993 NFC Wild Card with a separated shoulder.
That’s his vision for Dallas: a tough team that can run the ball and stop the run. Smith said he’s willing to hear out newly hired head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s philosophy.
“Even if I don’t like the change or I don’t like the hire, I think the change itself was necessary,” Smith said. “Maybe it’s the hire that I may have a challenge with. However, like any player that’s drafted, you got to be given a chance and an opportunity.
“So if Schottenheimer is clear about what he wants to do and how he wants to lead this team and usher this team from where we are today to back to prominence and dominance, I want to hear the vision.”
Smith wants the Cowboys to shore up their defensive and offensive lines, but he has another idea about a weapon that could improve the Cowboys offense: Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who is under contract until 2026 after signing a three-year, $90 million deal ahead of the 2024 season.
“Maybe we need to go after Tyreek Hill, someone that can go down the field and give CeeDee Lamb a chance to work underneath,” Smith said. “And develop a stronger tight end situation. I think the one we got right now is pretty good.”
Dallas wants to win in the trenches under this new regime.
“We’re going to do a great job of marrying our runs and our passes and make those look the same,” said Schottenheimer. “I’m proud to say at two different times in my career as a coordinator, we led the league in rushing, and they go hand in hand. The running game and the action pass game go hand in hand.”
With the staff now finalized, make no mistake about it, that path is set in stone.
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“We’re going to be a team that’s going to run the football and be able to utilize that as a strength for us,” said Ken Dorsey. “And then utilize our guys and be able to adjust our system based [on] our guys’ strengths.”
That is the passing game coordinator uttering those words — as focused on creating a physical, punch-you-in-the-face offense as anyone else in the building. And it’s not simply a message that stops to the right of Schottenheimer, as Klayton Adams, a highly touted Arizona Cardinals’ offensive line coach turned Cowboys’ offensive coordinator explained.
It goes without saying that Adams, alongside heralded former Kansas State coordinator and offensive line coach Conor Riley, are being brought in to install and instill a savagery into Dallas’ O-line that invokes fear in the opposition.
“The same thing that I want from every player on offense, and that is to create violence in the game, be aggressive, run and hit,” said Adams of his offensive line edict. “I think every decision that we make schematically needs to lean that direction. And if there’s a gray area, what is going to keep us going is to allow these guys to play more freely, and run and hit and be violent?”
The Cowboys have some good options to replace Zack Martin.
Mekhi Becton
When Dallas released Tyron Smith in 2024, Mekhi Becton’s name was thrown around as a potential replacement. A first-round pick in 2020, he never lived up to expectations with the New York Jets but a change of scenery seemed to be needed.
Instead of going to Dallas, Becton signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, who moved him inside to guard. That was a major success for the player and franchise as Becton started 15 games and PFF ranked him 20th in the league at his new position.
Now a free agent, Dallas is being named a fit once again for the 363-pounder. We’ll see if they show interest this time around.
Will Fries
An underrated option for Dallas this offseason is Will Fries, who was off to a fantastic start for the Indianapolis Colts in 2024 before breaking his right tibia in Week 5. He should be ready to go by the time the new year kicks off and has said he wants to return to Indianapolis.
If the two sides don’t come to a deal and Fries hits the open market, Dallas would be smart to see what it would take to bring him in.
Brock Hoffman gave a heartfelt goodbye to Zack Martin.
Hoffman is currently in line to replace Martin, though that could change this offseason if the Cowboys add talent to the offensive line, perhaps with the 12th overall pick of the NFL Draft in Will Campbell (LSU) or Kelvin Banks (Texas). For now though, it’s become clear he’s the in-house favorite for the right guard spot.
That’s why Hoffman’s farewell message to Martin was the perfect one, as the once undrafted player thanked the former first-round pick for his teachings that made him a pro.
“Thank you for all you’ve done for me and showing me and everyone that has been a Dallas Cowboys OL what being a true pro is,” Hoffman wrote as part of his goodbye post to Martin, which you can read in full below.
