$18 million offseason investment, Day 3 pick will be key game breakers for Cowboys in 2025 – Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire

The explosiveness of KaVontae Turpin and Jaydon Blue will be vital for the Cowboys.

Speed kills in the NFL. It’s not only a critical trait for playmakers, but a great way to open up the field and create ancillary opportunities for others. For years the Dallas Cowboys have been missing that explosive element to their offense. It’s not that they didn’t have any fast players, they just couldn’t get those fast players on the field in meaningful roles.

In 2025 that all stands to change. First-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer has insinuated he plans to get the most from his personnel this season. And by re-signing resident speedster KaVontae Turpin in March and drafting game-breaking lightning bolt Jaydon Blue in April, he has the pieces in place to make it all happen.

Report: Cowboys looked into a trade for Rashod Bateman – Charean Williams, ProFootballTalk

The Cowboys were looking into another AFC North wide receiver before snagging George Pickens.

Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports that the Cowboys made a call to the Ravens about the availability of Rashod Bateman. Those talks “didn’t go far,” per Schultz.

The Cowboys gave up a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick for Pickens and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

Pickens has better stats with 174 catches for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns in three seasons to Bateman’s 138 receptions for 1,923 yards and 13 touchdowns in four seasons. Bateman, though, has less risk and is under contract for two seasons instead of one.

NFL’s top 10 passing trios: Where do Cowboys rank after trading for George Pickens? – Ben Arthur, Foxports

Lots of excitement for the new Cowboys passing trio, which comes in 4th overall in this Foxsports ranking.

4. Dallas Cowboys: QB Dak Prescott, WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens

Lamb, one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, has a No. 1-caliber running mate for the first time since the beginning of his career, when Amari Cooper was still a Cowboy. Pickens has had at least 800 receiving yards in each of his three NFL seasons. Prescott played just eight games in 2024 due to injury, but paced the league in completions and passing touchdowns in 2023.

Steelers GM Omar Khan explains team’s decision to trade George Pickens to Cowboys – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

All the stars aligned for Pickens to be in Dallas.

Just a couple of days after dealing the team’s star wide receiver in a blockbuster trade to the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan spoke with reporters about the decision to move on from George Pickens.

In a brief session, Khan laid out the timeline that began with the Steelers fielding calls from various teams around the draft in mid-April on Pickens’ availability.

“There was just nothing there that was exciting,” Khan said about the offers on the table.

One of those offers was from Dallas. But after some time passed following the draft, the two sides reconnected over getting a deal done.

“The trade sort of happened quickly,” Khan said. “We had some people inquire during the draft, nothing that really made sense. Cowboys reached out earlier this week, proposed something for us to think about.”

[Via Twitter, Jon Machota completes Khan’s quote]

Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue named as a rookie that could “exceed expectations” in 2025 – Matthew Holleran, Blogging The Boys

Jaydon Blue has the skill set to make this a reality.

The Cowboys have received plenty of praise for drafting such a rare talent in the fifth round, and many have sky-high expectations for what Blue can potentially achieve in Dallas’ offense. Pro Football Network echoed that sentiment this week, naming the Texas running back Dallas’ “Rookie Who Could Exceed Expectations” this upcoming season.

Here’s what they had to say about the talented 21-year-old.

“The Dallas Cowboys’ ground game was among the NFL’s worst last season, ranking 30th in yards per carry (4.0) and last in touchdowns (6). The front office addressed the glaring need in free agency, adding Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. While they should be upgrades, neither profile as a lead back. Their lack of recent production leaves the door open for their newest addition to earn opportunities early.

Jaydon Blue brings explosive, big-play potential to the Cowboys’ backfield and could become a dynamic weapon in a complementary role. Though he never served as Texas’ primary back, Blue consistently flashed high-level speed, agility, and receiving upside that make him an intriguing fit in today’s NFL. He comes in with fresh legs, and his development down the stretch showed clear growth.

At 5’9″, 196 pounds, Blue is a slashing runner who thrives in space. He’s a threat to hit the edge and turn upfield in a hurry, with a 4.38-second 40-yard dash confirming his track-level acceleration. Where he truly separates himself is as a receiving threat, creating mismatches for linebackers. With unreliable veteran options, Blue has a lane to at least be part of the committee in Dallas.”

Outlook on several key Cowboys’ heading into “contract” year – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com

The Cowboys have some very important pieces that will be looking for new deals in 2026.

With Parsons’ deal likely getting him in the ballpark if not setting the bar for the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league when his contract is signed, the Cowboys will have a good chunk of their cap space invested in Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons.

That doesn’t mean they won’t strive to keep some of the other aforementioned players in Dallas going forward.

“We’ve got [Parsons] covered if it’s a franchise number, we’ve got that covered all the way through,” Jones said when asked if Parsons’ contract was a prerequisite for other players. “It is absolutely non-essential to have a deal with Micah as far as structuring our salary cap over the next year or two.”

Pickens is the newest Cowboy to enter the picture, heading into the final year of his rookie deal after being traded for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. For now, he’s not looking ahead and is focused on being the best version of himself for the 2025 season.

“I’m kinda where my feet are right now, to be honest,” Pickens said when asked about getting a deal done with Dallas before the season. “I’m not really thinking about contract talks. I’m just glad to be with the Cowboys right now, trying to build a winning culture.”

In 2025, both Bland and Ferguson will be looking to prove themselves after injuries staggered their 2024 campaigns following Pro Bowl honors for both in 2023. Smith and Aubrey have been two of the best players at their positions in the league over the course of their young careers, and will likely be priorities to stick around in Dallas going forward. The Cowboys will certainly use their “5th-year” option on Smith if a deal isn’t done to keep him through the 2026 season. And Aubrey is a restricted free agent at the end of this season.