FRISCO, Texas – On March 9, the NFL's legal tampering period will begin for pending free agents.
The Cowboys will have their fair share of free agents on the roster, which of course they can agree to terms with and sign at any time before that period.
From unrestricted free agents to restricted and exclusive rights free agents, Dallas has a lot of decisions to make over the next month when it comes to how they want to construct their roster for 2026, and even beyond.
With that, we'll examine each pending free agent on the Cowboys' current roster, continuing today with unrestricted free agent Donovan Wilson.
How He Got Here
The Cowboys drafted Donovan Wilson in the sixth round back in 2019, the last draft under former head coach Jason Garrett. Wilson is actually the third-longest tenured player on the current roster behind Dak Prescott (2016) and C.J. Goodwin (2018).
Over the course of his career, Wilson has developed into a regular starter. He was more of a special teams / role player in his first couple of years but after starting all 17 games in 2022 – a contract season – Wilson re-signed with the Cowboys on a three-year, $21 million contract in the spring of 2023. That contract has now expired for Wilson, who is one of six safeties in Cowboys history to have at least 75 career starts.
What He Did in 2025
The Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in franchise history, so it's hard to think any of the regular starters on defense performed well. Wilson did lead the team in interceptions with two, but the Cowboys tied for their lowest team total ever with just six picks.
Wilson was third on the defense with 79 tackles and second on the team with five pass deflections.
Why He Could Stay
Here's the case for Donovan Wilson to return – he's versatile. And if there's one thing we heard over and over in listening to Christian Parker talk about his defense, he wants to play multiple schemes. And to do that, you need versatile players such as Wilson, who has played a variety of spots on the field during his seven years in Dallas. Yes, he's been listed as a safety since the moment he got here, but we've seen him line up closer to the line of scrimmage in some schemes and even back as the lone safety in different packages.
Overall, Wilson seems to be better closer to the front of the line than in the back end. But even a few years ago when Dan Quinn got to Dallas as the DC, he immediately had a vision and role for Wilson, who elevated his game as well. Maybe Parker has a similar vision for Wilson, but first things first, the Cowboys will have to re-sign him.
Why He Could Leave
The same reasons that catch up to a lot of players – declining performance coupled by his age – could be factors in the Cowboys deciding to go in a different direction on defense.
Since Wilson had a career-high 108 tackles in 2022 that helped him get his three-year extension, his tackle numbers have dropped each year. The fact that he just turned 31 likely won't help his cause to get a big contract.
Again, the "tweener" players could have a role in Christian Parker's defense if he can play multiple spots. But we'll have to see if Wilson has a role in that defense and for the right price.
