Dallas

Cowboys

Grier returns to the Panthers after starting two games for Carolina in 2019. He completed 52 percent of his passes, with zero touchdowns and four interceptions. Grier has not played in a regular season game since 2019, and will likely function as the Panthers’ No. 3 quarterback behind Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett if he indeed makes the 2026 roster.

Aubrey will receive $20 million in guaranteed money, the most ever for a kicker in league history. The 31-year-old kicker has established himself as one of the top legs in the league since joining the Cowboys as a 28-year-old UDFA in 2023, making the Pro Bowl in all three seasons while also being named a First-team All-Pro in 2023. Aubrey is an impressive 24-for-27 on field goals from 50-plus yards for his career and will now be under contract through the 2030 season.

Fowler has played for five different teams since entering the NFL in 2015 and spent three of the last four seasons with the Cowboys. He logged 30 quarterback pressures and three sacks in Dallas last year, showing he can still chip in as a rotational rusher. Fowler, 31, could just be looking for a one-year deal and a chance to win a championship.

Moore and the Colts agreed to seek a trade on Friday. Breer notes that the Cowboys have not really settled their nickel spot and that the Vikings would value Moore’s versatility. The soon-to-be 31-year-old probably would not cost more than a Day 3 pick, per Breer, so if the Cowboys or Vikings miss out on potential draft cornerback fits, trading for Moore as a pivot makes sense.

Weird to publicly kill your leverage like that, but alright. It’s not exactly surprising that Pickens — a player who has a noted tendency to be late to meetings and has had documented clashes with coaches — hasn’t drawn much trade interest given the ballpark the Cowboys would likely be asking for in compensation. Dallas would probably have to recoup at least a second-round pick to move the talented wideout. We’re resigned to several blurbs about Pickens not showing up to various offseason activities and being a camp hold-in at this point. The resolution likely won’t happen until near the start of the season.

Adding to that idea is a quote from Stephen Jones today where he says they will struggle to get to 15-22 first-round grades in this class. The Cowboys, who pick at 12 and 20, could certainly try to move up to ensure they get one of the real defensive difference-makers in the class as they try to generate more momentum for a turnaround on that side of the ball.

Per Archer, the marijuana possession charge is a misdemeanor offense, but the controlled substance charge is a felony. The NFL will likely wait out the legal process before stepping in with a potential suspension. Bell appeared in all 17 games for the Cowboys last year, primarily as a backup. He is currently in the second year of the three-year contract he signed last offseason.

This is mostly just a housekeeping item for dynasty managers, but re-draft managers can still file it away for a potential rainy day in Dallas. Things could change via the 2026 NFL Draft, but these two are set to duke it out for now. Milton flubbed his second-half opportunity in Week 18 last year, perhaps prompting the Cowboys to search for a more reliable No. 2 option. The team certainly has a type. Both Howell and Milton possess very strong arms, which should allow the Cowboys to continue attacking downfield if starting QB Dak Prescott were to miss time.

Just over a month ago, The Athletic’s Jon Machota reported Ezeiruaku had undergone surgery on his injured hip. The expectation then was that he would be out until training camp. Today’s update is encouraging. The Cowboys spent the No. 44 overall pick on Ezeiruaku in last year’s draft. He banked 36 quarterback pressures, two sacks, 29 solo tackles and 11 TFLs as a rookie.

EJ’s father, Emmitt, played for the Cowboys from 1990 to 2002. He is a Hall of Famer and the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. Across his five college seasons, three at Stanford and two at Texas A&M, EJ rushed 202 times for 934 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 67-of-77 targets for 417 yards and one touchdown. His ticket to the NFL is likely as an undrafted free agent. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer called him “an incredible short-yardage runner, powerful.” To Smith’s credit, he forced 66 missed tackles on 269 regular season touches in his college career and averaged 0.27 missed tackles forced per carry in 2025. He might have a chance to secure an NFL roster spot as a backup bruiser back somewhere. The Cowboys’ backfield is fairly crowded at this point, though.