FRISCO, Texas – This is all I needed to see of Rashan Gary, and you guys probably already have seen the same, too.
That picture on our site of a big grinning, toothy smile taking place with the veteran defensive end arriving here at The Star on Wednesday and signing – let me repeat, signing – whatever papers required to sign.
Bet he got a physical, too. It's official.
Don't need no redshirt investments, as owner Jerry Jones warned against this year. Not for a season, not for several games at the start of a season and absolutely not for offseason participation. And hope not for contract negotiation purposes or for selfish working out on my own purposes.
Get the gang all here.
Hey, it's a new defensive coaching staff, a bunch of eager beavers coming in with eyes wide open wanting to prove themselves with no predetermined evaluations of talent. This all is starting from scratch, and new coordinator Christian Parker has made that plain and simple if we judge from the assistants his hands have been all over hiring. And bet this trade for Gary the Cowboys have made, along with the six free agents they've agreed to terms with, have his fingerprints on them as well. Getting the right kind of guys, as former head coach Jason Garrett was wont to say.
You would think them others already here have taken notice. If not, let this become prescribed reading. You had better. Until otherwise proven not, head coach Brian Schottenheimer has trust in this Christian.
Here is what to like about this trade for Rashan Gary, other than the arrival smile. Didn't have to spend my two first-round draft choices to acquire. Didn't have to spend a first, a future second and/or a current starter to acquire. Just a future fourth.
And sure as hell didn't have to break the salary-cap bank to afford. Just base salaries over the next two years costing $18 million and $21 million that I'm sure he wouldn't be opposed to reducing for a restructured contract/bonus. Also, don't tell me the guy was about to get cut. If Gary falls into free agency, then you are negotiating with 30 other teams for his services. Just look what some of these average guys are commanding. Praise the open market.
Here is another. Don't judge the player on sack totals alone, those quarterbacks he's nailed 24 times over the past three seasons, with a high of nine in 2023. You know how long it's been since a Cowboys player not named Micah Parsons has totaled at least nine sacks in a season?
The winner: Robert Quinn with 11½ in 2019. And that was a one-year wonder. As for Gary, he is just one of a dozen NFL players with at least 7½ sacks in each of the past three seasons. Is he Micah Parsons? No. But does Micah Parsons add up to Gary, Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams and a first-round draft choice to be named this year? What the Cowboys have picked up and can afford because of the Parsons trade?
No, and less headaches.
Get my drift?
Then there is this: Gary is a willing participant in the run game. The Cowboys evaluate the eighth-year veteran at just 28 as a standup outside linebacker in a 3-4, and a darn good defensive end in a 4-2-1 nickel formation. This guy will set the edge. Gary has totaled 136 tackles over the past three seasons. That's an average right at 45 a season. That average would have tied for the Cowboys' defensive lineman tackle lead this year (Donovan Ezeiruaku).
What's not to like?
This is not some guy just chasing sacks. He's a football player. Your eyes will tell you that.
Right there with that smile, too.
• Physicals Matter: Well, how about that. Nothing is official until it's signed, sealed and "physicaled," if you will, as we are reminded of during another start to free agency. Can have all the agreements you want, but nothing matters until 3 p.m. Wednesday at the start of the NFL's new league year. Ask the Ravens. Ask the Raiders. So much for that Las Vegas trade of Maxx Crosby to Baltimore for two first-round picks. Some say the Ravens got cold feet. Some otherswill say the Ravens didn't like a further check of Crosby's knee that's been surgically repaired. Imagine that, me trading two first-round picks for damaged goods. And worse than rehabbing now, bet some long-term degeneration will scare a bunch giving up that many first-round draft choices. That is why the Cowboys are unlikely to officially announce the signing of their six free agents – so far – until those guys arrive, pass physicals and sign on the dotted line. Your word only goes so far. Players have been known to renege on their decisions. Just think of those who change college commitments that take place. Smart business practice not to get ahead of yourself.
• Kicking It: Thanks to the Texans, the going rate for the highest NFL kicker salary went up the other day a smidge after Houston extended Ka'imi Fairborn's $6.5 million average, uh, not kicking in until 2027-28, surpassing that of Kansas City's Harrison Butker's current high of $6.4 million. Ranking third is Philadelphia's Jake Elliott at a $6 million average with Brandon Aubrey's second-round restricted tender of $5.76 million next. So most likely, if the Cowboys are signing Aubrey to a long-term deal, he's probably averaging $7 million a year at least and already has been offered more. Remember, guaranteed money can trump total package.
• Locke-ing Up: There is a reason Cowboys agreed to terms with Denver safety P.J. Locke on just a one-year deal for a $5 million max. Locke, a 15-game starter for the Broncos in 2024, underwent vertebrae fusion surgery early in the 2025 offseason to repair disc problems at the L4-L5 level. Not knowing if Locke would be the same player after recovering, Denver signed free agent safety Talanoa Hufanga, who took over the starting job, reducing Locke to a backup. But tell you what, appears the Cowboys might just be hunting a veteran special teams player with backup safety capabilities. Locke, who was born with scoliosis, played 198 special teams snaps in 2025, making just three defensive starts. Over his six-year career, Locke has played 1,300 special teams snaps.
• Making Money: What a two-way street. Cowboys veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark makes money today while the Cowboys save like $8.8 million against the salary cap at the same time. Clark's inherited contract from Green Bay had an $11 million roster bonus due the third day of the 2026 league year, ballooning his cap hit to $21 million. So to lower the cap hit, the Cowboys converted that $11 million roster bonus into a restructure bonus, thus instead prorating that money over five years by adding three void years to the end of the contract, charging just $2.2 million a year. Now Clark's 2026 cap charge is a more reasonable $12.7 million.
• Moving On Up: Currently George Pickens' 2026 franchise tag of $27.298 million ranks 14th among average wide receiver salaries, certainly nothing to sneeze about. But we know agents, when trying to negotiate a long-term deal they ask for the moon, which would allow them to settle for being in the stars so to speak. Again, guaranteed money talks, and see where Indianapolis signed receiver Alec Pierce to a four-year average of $28.5 million but guaranteed him $80 million of the $114 million package. Guarantee you that caught the eye of Pickens' agent, Pierce's deal guaranteeing 70 percent of the package.
• Guarantees Matter: Ask Terence Steele, who agreed to restructure his contract since he was out of guarantees with three years left on his five-year extension signed in 2023 worth $46 million. So he settled for a reduced total package of $36 million thanks to $22 million of that the Cowboys will now guarantee him.
• QB Insurance: The more witnessed Joe Milton playing, be it in preseason games or there at the end of the season, made me think the Cowboys were skating on thin ice having such an inexperienced backup quarterback behind Dak Prescott. Thought they needed to sign a potential backup with some NFL "game" experience. But if you scoped out the list of available quarterbacks not costing an arm and a leg, not that impressive of a bunch. But hey, welcome Sam Howell. At least Howell has started 18 of 22 NFL games played, 17 of those coming in the 2023 season for Washington. No matter the stats, he's played. Milton now has played in five NFL games in his two NFL seasons. No starts. Three of those brief mop-up duty. But 112 career snaps and just 53 passing attempts with 29 of those in the only game he played his rookie season with the Patriots. Man, that's hanging on the edge. So let the competition begin.
• One Last One: Was reminded six years ago today, COVID dropped upon us, the NBA suspending league play when a diagnosis of the Utah Jazz's Rudy Gobert tested positive. Man, did life change, and around here too when we began working from home for like four months or so.
How about this for this week's last word. Thanks to Nicole Hutchinson on our website, we have the first interview with the Cowboys' newly acquired defensive end Rashan Gary, who arrived at The Star Wednesday to make that trade with the Packers official.
"Just this whole experience, you know, the Cowboys organization is putting together," Gary said. "I'm happy to be a part of it. I'm happy to be the start of some change, you know, in the right way.
"The guys that you named, especially to come back to play with a guy that I know (former Packers teammate Kenny Clark), just his work ethic and what the game of football means to KC, it means the same to me. So I can't wait to go to work and show Cowboys Nation what I'm all about."
And about maybe what the expectations are from Schottenheimer and Parker, who was an assistant coach with the Packers for two years with Gary on the team.
"Just come in, be me, let the expectations be what they are, and be the guy they want here," Gary continued.
Then make a whole lot of people smile with him.
