Jerry Jones: 'Aggressive' Isn't Right Word to Describe Cowboys' NFL Free Agency Plans

Dallas Cowboys fans hoping the Osa Odighizuwa contract will be a sign of things to come for the organization with free agency set to begin next week might be disappointed.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters on Wednesday he wouldn't use the term "aggressive" to describe their free-agent approach.

Getting the four-year, $80 million contract done with Odighizuwa before the start of free agency answered one of the big questions for the Cowboys this offseason.

The next major question in Dallas will be when does Micah Parsons sign an extension. Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reported on Sunday the three-time All-Pro and the Cowboys opened contract negotations.

There's an expectation that whenever Parsons signs his deal, it will make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. ESPN's Dan Graziano predicted a contract worth $180 million over four years ($45 million annually).

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is currently the highest-paid non-quarterback at $35 million per season.

Even with the Cowboys having several holes to fill on their roster, the most important thing they can do this offseason is get Parsons' contract done. They have a recent history of dragging out negotiations, including with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last offseason.

Dallas eventually worked things out with both players, but waiting so long to do both may have cost the team more when it could have gotten out ahead of both players long ago to save a little money and cap space.

Another problem is the Cowboys don't have a lot of cap room to do anything aggressively. They currently have $17.7 million in cap space, which ranks 23rd in the NFL.

The Cowboys are entering a new era with Brian Schottenheimer taking over as head coach. They will be hoping for a quick turnaround after last season's disappointing 7-10 record that caused them to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2020.