What to monitor for the Cowboys at the combine: Trade buzz, free agents and more
The annual NFL Scouting Combine is off and running, as all 32 teams have descended upon Downtown Indianapolis for one of the busiest weeks on the NFL calendar.
The Dallas Cowboys’ front office arrived over the weekend while the coaching staff arrived on Tuesday, as they prepare to get an up-close look at the impending draft class while also working toward clarity with their own impending free agents by meeting with various player representatives.
It’s a busy, fluid week full of news and chatter in Indianapolis. Here are the headlines to monitor regarding the Cowboys.
How do negotiations kick off with George Pickens?
The Cowboys are expected to meet with the representatives of wide receiver George Pickens this week in Indianapolis, led by agents David Mulugheta and Trevon Smith. It will be the first official discussion of Pickens’ future this offseason between the two sides, but don’t expect things to get too far.
On Monday, executive vice president Stephen Jones said that the team is “leaning toward” using the franchise tag on the team’s 2025 leading receiver. He also alluded that the team isn’t in any sort of rush to find long-term clarity with Pickens’ services.
Will the conversation in Indianapolis lead toward Pickens holding out of offseason activities? Or, is there enough common ground between both sides to embrace the franchise tag for the 2026 season? This discussion could go a lot of different ways. And similar to how the drama ensued with Micah Parsons last offseason, this conversation will be a big determining factor in how things play out with Pickens.
Which draft prospects will the Cowboys meet with?
During the combine, each team is permitted to meet with 45 draft prospects in a formal meeting that consists of position coaches, head coach Brian Schottenheimer, scouts and members of the front office badgering prospects with questions for 18-to-20 minutes. The whiteboard is also brought out in some meetings to get a sense of players’ on-field intelligence.
In each of the last two years, the Cowboys’ first-round pick (Tyler Guyton in 2024, Tyler Booker in 2025) was a player they formally met with at the combine. This year, there will be a big focus on defensive prospects. Here are 10 candidates that could get selected with either of the Cowboys’ two first-round picks:
- Ohio State S Caleb Downs
- Ohio State LB Sonny Styles
- LSU CB Mansoor Delane
- Clemson CB Avieon Terrell
- Miami DE Rueben Bain Jr.
- Texas Tech DE David Bailey
- Texas A&M DE Cashius Howell
- Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy
- Georgia LB CJ Allen
- Oregon S Dillon Thieneman
The combine also serves as a valuable time to acquire more data on players off the field, including the extensive medical evaluation each player goes through. Some notable medical reports will include Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy (missed all of 2025 with a torn ACL) and Miami defensive end Akheem Mesidor (multiple foot injuries).
Which free agents could return to Dallas?
It’s not just George Pickens. The Cowboys will meet with various representatives of players in-house that are set to hit free agency on March 11. Last year, the week in Indianapolis paved the way for the team to get defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa back on a four-year deal just a few days after returning to Dallas. It also put the nail in the coffin for defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and cornerback Jourdan Lewis to end up signing elsewhere for the first time in their respective careers.
Notable free agent conversations to track this week will include kicker Brandon Aubrey -- who Stephen Jones said on Monday that discussions about his long-term deal have “been a journey” -- safety Donovan Wilson, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. and defensive end Sam Williams.
It’s clear that the Cowboys will need to rebuild their defense this offseason, but which key pieces from 2025 do they see as part of the future? This week’s discussions will provide a lot more clarity in that direction.
Does trade buzz heat up?
When asked on Monday if the trade market could be utilized to add veteran defenders to the roster, Stephen Jones left the possibility on the table.
“It’s tough to predict, but we’re certainly open-minded to it,” Jones said. “We’re always open-minded to trading. If the right guy fit and it was the perfect fit, then we’d certainly look at it.”
No team has been as splashy in the trade market across the NFL in the last 12 months than the Cowboys. Trading for Pickens, Quinnen Williams, Joe Milton and more while trading away Micah Parsons offered enough drama for a decade’s worth of news cycles, and the Joneses could go back to the well to find immediate contributors to their defense.
Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was a name heavily discussed at the trade deadline behind-the-scenes, and Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby could be dealt by a franchise that could look to accelerate its rebuild with draft capital. The Cowboys are routinely tied to rumors in the trade market -- whether it’s with credible evidence or not -- but how realistic these options are could heat up as more league chatter persists this week.
Who to watch in on-field workouts
The on-field workouts inside Lucas Oil Stadium will begin on Thursday afternoon, and the Cowboys will have a suite overlooking the players taking part in various position drills throughout the weekend.
Now, truly any defensive player in this draft class is a player to watch with regard to Dallas. But if the Cowboys are hoping that one of their top defensive targets are available at the No. 12 draft spot, then they need to be rooting for the top offensive talent to work into the conversation for teams picking ahead of them.
That includes Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who is the consensus No. 2 signal-caller behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, but where exactly he gets drafted remains a mystery. That would also include the trio of receivers at the top of the draft: USC’s Makai Lemon, Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson. Tyson will not work out as he rehabs a hamstring injury, but the other two having big weeks on the field and cementing top-12 status would work massively into Dallas’ favor in hopes of a premier defender being on the board at No. 12.
