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FRISCO, TX — Throw a dart at a position on the defensive depth chart of the Dallas Cowboys and unless it lands on defensive tackle, you've hit a bullseye on which position needs to be addressed in free agency and/or the 2026 NFL Draft.
But, focusing on free agency, specifically, things are about to get interesting for the Cowboys as they welcome and throw the defensive keys to Christian Parker and his new-look staff.
That's in large part because of the coming shift from the longtime 4-3 scheme to a 3-4, and while Parker says Dallas will "be multiple", he readily admits which scheme will be the primary and, unless you've forgotten, he brought in Chidera Uzo-Diribe as outside linebackers coach and Scott Symons to handle the *inside* linebackers.
What exactly does this mean for the in-house defensive ends heading to free agency, and for outside linebackers looking for a new home? Well, let's talk about it, and some options that make sense for Dallas, inclusive of projected annual salary.
Welcome to this year's Open Market series (full series is inside the link).
What's Here
Jadeveon Clowney: This one, on its face, is fairly simple. Clowney entered the Cowboys roster as a mercenary and wound up being their best and most consistent pass rusher. Additionally, he made it clear before the conclusion of the 2025 season that he would love to stick around, and that was before the Cowboys changed defensive coordinators and staffs, but that works in two directions. First, it's a good thing, because it stands to reason the defense as a whole could be markedly better under Christian Parker, but now the question becomes, "Does Clowney fit in Parker's plans for a 3-4 primary? As a true 4-3 defensive end?" They will be multiple though, so hmm … (Market value: $5.7M annually)
Dante Fowler: That question also extends to Fowler, but it becomes more of a difficult answer when considering, unlike Clowney, the former had one of the more forgettable seasons of his otherwise solid NFL career. The veteran defensive end says he battled injury, but it's also true that little went well for him on the field, for a variety of reasons. And with a similar projected price tag as Clowney, if the Cowboys were to choose one veteran to keep in the building, the math and production lean heavily toward Clowney. (Market value: $5.1M annually)
Sam Williams: Stick with me on this: Williams is also a true 4-3 defensive end, at least since entering the NFL as the Cowboys' second-round pick in 2022. He did spend some time at linebacker, but not of the outside variety. Can Williams be impactful as a true 3-4 outside linebacker after struggling to reach his full potential as a DE in Dallas? There's so much left to prove for Williams, who also lost this third season to a torn ACL and was unable to consistently make an impact in any department other than special teams. (Market value: $2.3M annually)
Payton Turner: Adding to the aforementioned DE vs. OLB issue for Turner is the fact he basically lost an entire season in 2025. Placed on injured reserve ahead of the regular season, Turner stayed there until he was moved to the active roster in late December but, even then, he wasn't named to a gameday roster and, as such, played zero snaps last season. If the Cowboys want to give him a mulligan, it'll probably cost just the veteran minimum, because they still have no clue what he can or can't do in Dallas. (Market value: $1.9M annually)
What's Out There
Note: These players will be unrestricted on March 11, barring a newly-signed deal with their incumbent team prior to that date. (Market value, when available, provided by Spotrac)
Bradley Chubb: Chubb has seen his fair share of adversity, from injury to some inconsistency at times but, when healthy, he is a more-than-capable outside linebacker to entertain adding to a Cowboys' roster that will shift to a 3-4 philosophy (primarily). A former fifth-overall pick of the Broncos in 2018, he flew out of the gate to PFWA All-Rookie honors and has since earned two Pro Bowl nods and was co-led the league in forced fumbles (2023).
A torn ACL deleted his 2024 season, but he was highly effective one year later, logging 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 17 starts — released by the Dolphins for cap reasons. (Market value: $7.6M annually)
K'Lavon Chaisson: You know as well as I do that the Cowboys love, crave, adore and are enamored with circling back years later to sign talent they once held in high regard ahead of that player's respective draft. The Cowboys considered drafting the former First-team All-SEC talent out of LSU in 2020, but CeeDee Lamb falling to 17th-overall ended that.
Chaisson has since played for four different teams, unable to find his footing until the last two seasons, when he racked up a combined 12.5 sacks, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles and 63 combined tackles between the Raiders and Super-Bowl runner-up Patriots. Keep an eye on this one. (Market value: $9.0M annually)
Arnold Ebiketie: Send away an edge rusher from Penn State, sign another one. OK, jokes aside, because Ebiketie is, talent-wise, not in the same air as that guy in Green Bay, but he's effective at getting after the opposing passer. The 27-year-old still has plenty of tread on his young tires after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Falcons, and as a rotational player with 16.5 sacks and 129 combined tackles on his resume, along with four forced fumbles.
My concern here isn't availability, or ability, but rather a glaring lack of starts for a price tag approaching the $10 million mark. If the asking price drops quite a bit, I'd consider Ebiketie. (Market value: $9.0M annually)
Boye Mafe: Might I interest you in a Super Bowl champion from this past season? Mafe helped power the Seahawks to a championship under Aden Durde, and he's also got more NFL starts under his belt than does someone like Ebiketie — 34 through his first four seasons in the league. His starting role was reduced to a rotational one in 2025, granted, but that was mostly due to the Seahawks' firepower at the position (can you say Uchenna Nwosu?).
That is unfortunately not an issue with the EDGE-needy Cowboys and, when Mafe was a full-time starter in 2023 and 2024, he produced 15 sacks, 92 combined tackles, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and nine (!!) pass deflections. But only pay his projected value if he's being made a starter, because he's far too pricey to come off the bench. (Market value: $12.2M annually)
VIP Club
- Jaelan Phillips
- Khalil Mack
- Odafe Oweh
- Joey Bosa
- Kwity Paye
- Joseph Ossai
Simply put, with price tags hovering around the $20 million annually mark, or near it, none of these players have a realistic shot at landing in Dallas, though I'd never say it's impossible — I will file it under "Highly Unlikely" for a defense that needs to produce a free agency answer at linebacker and cornerback as well. That said, of this group, keep an eye on Phillips, who played under Christian Parker for the Eagles last season; but even he is expected to command more than $17 million per year.
