FRISCO, Texas – With eyes wide open, some things become self-evident. Take the Dallas Cowboys construction of this initial 53-man roster, and you, too, can see for yourself.
This is why the Cowboys decided five-year veteran Sam Howell, with 18 games of NFL starting experience, not to mention having started all 37 games he played at North Carolina beforehand, would become the backup quarterback to Dak Prescott instead of gambling on the uber-talented Joe Milton, no NFL starts and just 21 during his six-year college career.
Exactly why they traded for fourth-year veteran offensive tackle Broderick Jones, the 2023 Pittsburgh first round draft choice with 38 NFL starts – 27 at right tackle, 11 at left tackle – to at least become the team's backup swing tackle instead of gambling on the inexperience of Nate Thomas or Drew Shelton or being forced to move All-Pro guard Tyler Smith a few steps to his left if injury struck starter Tyler Guton.
Why they claimed on waivers the most versatile fourth year running back Emari Demercado to become the third running back in the room with starter Javonte Williams and a well-earned backup Malik Davis instead of relying on the somewhat unreliable Jaydon Blue, so discouraged with the second-year back's development and readiness they did not even elect to sign the 2025 fifth round draft choice back to the practice squad.
Why they did not hesitate to guarantee franchised receiver George Pickens the $27.3 million tag price, nor blink on spending a pricey $46.4 million of 2026 salary cap space on their top two receivers (CeeDee Lamb $19.1 million).
Let me continue.
Why they decided to spend one of their two allowed Injured Reserve-Return designations before setting the 53-man roster on linebacker Marist Liufau, a valued special teams player though knowing his fractured forearm suffered during the final preseason game would keep him out at least the required four game weeks of IR and with ramp-up likely until mid-October, maybe Halloween, simply worth the wait.
And hold on, one more, why they did not chicken out of signing the 37-year-old esteemed edge rusher Von Miller to that eventual one-year, $5.5 million guaranteed contract, but structuring to count just $3.1 million against the cap this year, and knowing there could be $2.4 million of future dead money, like be it.
Know why?
Win Now, that's why.
After all the offseason moves signing experienced free agents, after feeling certain the first three of seven 2026 draft choices are absolutely capable of producing their rookie seasons, recouping the services of two in-house healthy players such as DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel, knowing the capabilities of last year's No. 2 ranked offense and the continued high expectations of quarterback Dak Prescott, this growing confidence heading toward next Sunday night's season opener at the New York Giants, with the specter and emotion of the 25th year remembrance of 9/11 surely hovering heavily overhead, these Cowboys thought . . . .
Why not. Why wait.
Ya'll been begging for "all-in," well, the Cowboys are making a cannon-ball splash preparing for the 2026 season.
"I think we've made it very clear when you're pursuing a championship we want to win now, we want to build the best team possible," said Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, "and we felt like carrying two quarterbacks is the best way to strengthen our roster."
Not just that when looking at the personnel moves the Cowboys have made, but it's become apparent when analyzing this roster there have been very few concessions made toward building a team for the future. There have been no concessions made this year prioritizing waiting for guys or taking the chance on guys developing along the way.
See the trade of Thomas to Houston, getting but a seventh rounder in return on the way to simply cutting the third-year player. Same with Blue, having preached to the second-year player about being more than just a speed back, wanting the Texas-ex to become proficient in all phases of the running back responsibilities and carving out a spot on special teams he did not. No more waiting.
Same with Sam Williams, the 2022 second round draft choice the Cowboys have been waiting on to develop into a pass rusher supreme, and while signing him back to a one-year deal and giving gave him every opportunity to excel in the preseason games playing against those other teams second and third line offensives, Sam just did not. Gone.
And for sure, same with Milton. Playing quarterback is more than having extraordinary arm talent and or displaying the ability to run with the football. It's about the perceived ability to run an offense, the entire offense, and doing so as the backup quarterback without getting more than a handful of snaps, if that many, with the first team offense during the game week of practice. Played it safe instead with Howell.
Obviously, the Cowboys recognize Milton's immense talent but also his lack of experience, even in college when playing three seasons each for Michigan and then Tennessee, and then just getting into one end-of-season game his rookie season with New England and four mop-up games this past year with the Cowboys. Some quarterbacks just need time the Cowboys did not have at No. 2.
Hey, think Tony Romo, unlike even Milton the Patriots sixth-round draft choice, Tony was a 2023 undrafted rookie free agent. Spent three years on the Cowboys roster as the developmental quarterback, never ever appearing in one game all those years, the third QB his first two years and considered the backup to Drew Bledsoe in 2005 before Bill Parcells figured he was ready to go that 2006 season when he first played games in the NFL. The rest is history.
In fact, when thinking back to Romo's second season in 2004, had the Cowboys not released projected starter Quincy Carter, never a favorite of Parcells by the way, the former Eastern Illinois quarterback likely would have been cut. For heading into training camp it was Carter, veteran backup-to-be Vinny Testaverde and Drew Henson, the Cowboys not only giving the Texans a third-round draft choice for his rights but also guaranteeing him $3.5 million in a return to football, so the former MLB drafted third baseman wasn't going anywhere. Romo was.
Sometimes it just takes time, if fortunate enough to be afforded that time.
The Cowboys, though, have made this implicitly clear in 2026: They don't have time to be waiting around. Not this year. 'Tis time to go. Even Dak senses that when saying how "happy" he is with this roster.
"I think they've done what they set out to do in the spring," Dak says of recent moves. "I think that carried over into some of the decisions they made here in the last 48 hours to help the team, and the lack of being complacent with just the guys we had and wanting to do something and standing on the same mission they had back in the spring."
Like win now?
"I mean, I'm always in a win now mentality," Dak continued. "I feel like the plans are that way. Yeah, we want to win now, we know we got a team to win now, and that's my point about how I feel about this."
His, theirs, mine and guessing pretty obvious yours, too.
