Jerry Jones and Cowboys Did Something Right in NFL Offseason
The Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones aren’t known for making splashy, high-cost moves during the offseason, or any time, really, but Jones is upping things going into the 2026-27 season and putting resources where they need to go.
One of the biggest weaknesses for the Cowboys in 2025 was at the safety position. The team just missed the playoffs during their 2025-26 run, and one of the reasons was because of having an insecurity at safety.
But, Jones remedied that by signing Jalen Thompson during the offseason in their most expensive free agent deal since 2012, giving him a three-year, $33 million deal.
In ESPN’s post-draft power rankings, the outlet ranks the Cowboys the No. 16 best team in the league going into the new season, and it feels earned.
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In the piece, Todd Archer notes that the team got three solid safeties in Thompson, P.J. Locke and Ohio State’s Caleb Downs.
He states that Downs wasn’t only “the best safety in the draft but also was considered perhaps the best overall prospect. A large part of new coordinator Christian Parker’s scheme will be based on versatility; Thompson, Locke and, certainly, Downs can and will play multiple spots.”
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He adds, “A year ago, the Cowboys had Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson as their starting safeties. Hooker remains, but Wilson is still unsigned. The backups were Markquese Bell and Juanyeh Thomas. Bell is still there, but his role will be altered by the 2026 additions.”
Why It Matters: What Will a Better Safety Room Do for the Cowboys?
As long as Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb stay healthy in the upcoming season, the Dallas Cowboys have a chance to be real contenders once again. Adding Thompson, Locke and Downs during the offseason may seem like overkill, but it’s not. Beefing up the safety position is one of the smartest things this team can do to remedy what went wrong last season, and that will show in September.
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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 8:25 PM.