FA RECAP: Cowboys Make SPLASH Trade, Sign Versatile DB On Day 1 of NFL Free Agency!

Summary

Locked On Cowboys Podcast | FA RECAP: Cowboys Make SPLASH Trade, Sign Versatile DB On Day 1 of NFL Free Agency!

Date: March 10, 2026
Hosts: Marcus Mosher, Landon McCool
Podcast Network: Locked On Podcast Network

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Episode Overview

Day one of 2026 NFL Free Agency was a whirlwind for the Dallas Cowboys. This episode features a deep dive into the Cowboys’ two headline moves:

• The surprising trade for Green Bay Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary
• The signing of versatile defensive back Jalen Thompson from the Arizona Cardinals
  Additionally, the hosts analyze Dallas’ aggressive – but so far fruitless – pursuit of linebacker upgrades, discuss positional needs going forward, and weigh the strategic approach of Cowboys’ management during this critical offseason window.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rashan Gary Trade – Cost, Fit, and Expectation

Segment Start: [01:14]

• The Move:
  • Dallas trades a 2027 fourth-round pick to Green Bay for Rashan Gary, an established edge rusher (reports initially conflicted on whether it was a third or fourth-rounder, with Marcus clarifying the distinction).
• Contract Details:
  • Gary arrives on a contract with no remaining guaranteed money—set to earn about $18M in 2026 and $22M in 2027, but expected to be restructured.
  • Green Bay absorbs $17M in dead money, giving Dallas flexibility to adjust Gary’s cap hit.

Insights:

• Marcus Mosher ([02:46]):

  “I said this is way too much for Rashan Gary. That’s when Diana Russini reported it was a third round pick, not a day three pick. There is a big difference… I think fourth round is still a little too expensive, but you’re talking totally different things between a third and a fourth.”

• Landon McCool ([03:14], [04:39]):

  “The reason they’re pulling the trigger on a guy that had been not just rumored to be cut... it has to do with cost control on the contract... there are ways to redo this deal and restructure—maybe give them some guaranteed money and take away some cap hit. As far as the player goes, you’re getting a starting edge player crucial on early downs... There aren’t a ton of these guys that are proficient at both (run and pass), so he certainly passes the bar as a pass rusher, but you want him as part of a committee, not necessarily the top end guy.”

• Marcus ([04:39]):

  "The Cowboys just needed edge rushers… You needed a bigger body… That’s Rashan Gary. He’s got a long track record of being an above average run defender. I think you and I could debate about his pass rushing skills because you’ve seen his win rate drop overall the last couple years… To me, he’s a guy that you want to be like your second or third edge rusher, not your first.”

Context & Strategy:

• Dallas needed to bulk up the edge after injuries and a lack of proven depth; Gary fills a physical, early-down role.
• The hosts agree that if Gary is the only significant veteran addition, it’s insufficient. However, if Dallas adds more pass rush talent (e.g., through the draft or free agency), the move makes much more sense ([05:51]).

Quote:

• Marcus ([05:51]):

  "If this is the only veteran edge rusher the Cowboys grab this offseason, I'm going to be disappointed because it's not enough. But if they draft one at 12 or sign a Joey Bosa or Trey Hendrickson, it changes the angles here."

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2. Jalen Thompson Signing – Versatility for the Secondary

Segment Start: [12:35]

• The Move:
  • Dallas signs Jalen Thompson (Arizona Cardinals DB) to a 3-year, $36M deal (effectively a 2-year, $22M guaranteed deal).
• Why It Excites the Hosts:
  • Thompson is seen as a “plug-and-play” versatile DB who has excelled at multiple positions: box safety, slot, free safety, and on special teams.
  • His connection with new Cowboys defensive backs coach Ryan Smith (formerly of Arizona) supports the fit.

Breakdown:

• Landon ([13:17]):

  “He’s a really versatile inside, down and back guy. He’s played nickel, free safety, strong safety… If you go back and watch the Arizona tape, this guy was all over it, playing opposite of Budda Baker.”

• Marcus ([14:49]):

  “I think the deal itself is really good, but I think the fit is awesome as well… Since joining the league in 2019: 2100 snaps in the box, 1200 snaps in the slot, 2500 as a free safety… They moved him all around. His best work is as a box safety that can cover the flats. He’s a really good tackler.”

Context & Future Outlook:

• The signing gives Dallas the flexibility to deploy more “big nickel” and three-safety looks.
• Safeties like Thompson are becoming more expensive as defenses adapt to the evolution of the passing game.
• Both hosts agree Thompson is an above-average starter, not an All-Pro, but fills a big need.
• The move frees Dallas to consider a wider range of safeties in the draft and to stack more athletic, hybrid defenders ([18:36], [19:11]).

Quote:

• Marcus ([17:13]):

  “This is exactly what the Cowboys needed. They needed a versatile guy that was good in coverage, could stop the run... He is an above average starter.”

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3. Linebacker Situation – Still Unresolved

Segment Start: [21:19]

• Missed Targets:
  • Quay Walker signed elsewhere (3 years, $40M).
  • Nakobe Dean passed on a similar Cowboys offer, opting for the Raiders’ fit.
  • Devin Lloyd remains unsigned, presumably seeking top-of-market contract after a single standout season.

Discussion:

• The market for linebackers is uneven, with teams wary of buying high off a single year of production (Devin Lloyd's case), especially for players approaching late prime years ([22:32], [23:59]).
• Marcus ([23:59]):

  “It doesn't help that he's a little bit older… If he wants $20 million a year, I don't think that money's coming. Would he accept the deal more in the $15–$16 million range? We'll see.”

• Landon ([24:46]):

  “Right now they're exploring trades… You can still find some decent players because you can open up your scope… If you don't want to go after Lloyd, you can still go get a linebacker you like at a price you like.”

• Concerns about Trade Targets:
  • Marcus cautions against trading for underperforming former first-round picks and prefers trading for proven, if limited, players who offer solid value (e.g., Leo Chenal of the Chiefs).

  "If they're going to trade for somebody... Trade for a player who is good and not for somebody who you think has untapped potential." ([25:53])

• Draft Options:
  • Rookie possibilities (Sonny Styles, etc.) are mentioned as future options if Dallas cannot land its preferred free agent target.

Quote:

• Marcus ([27:35]):

  "If they [give up a first round pick for a linebacker], I might be quitting this podcast... Is there even a linebacker in the league you'd pay a first round pick for?"

• Landon ([27:49]):

  "Do I get a time machine that comes with Fred Warner? No? Then no, not an off-ball linebacker."

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Additional Notable Moments & Quotes

• On Edge/Pass Rush Philosophy ([05:51], [07:24]):
  • Landon reinforces how the Cowboys’ defense prefers to spread sacks among multiple contributors, not rely on a single star:

    "What this defense has had success with is spreading out the sacks... Maybe it's more important to have two $10 million pass rushers because you're going to rotate these guys anyways."

• On Contract Flexibility ([08:16]):
  • Both discuss how having no guaranteed money gives immense freedom to restructure Gary’s contract.

    "The good part is that there is no... Yes, I agree if he plays the contract untouched, it's not great... but I just have a hard time believing that that's what's going to end up being the case..." (Landon)

• Jalen Thompson’s Unique Career ([13:17]):
  • Landon highlights Thompson’s rare path as a supplemental draft success and chess-piece role in Arizona’s defense.
• Draft/dollar flexibility ([18:36], [19:11]):
  • The Thompson signing opens up the types of defensive backs Dallas can now target.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Trade for Rashan Gary Discussion: [01:14]–[10:43]
• Jalen Thompson Signing Breakdown: [12:35]–[19:33]
• Linebacker Market Analysis: [21:19]–[28:21]

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Summary & Tone

Throughout the episode, Marcus and Landon maintain an analytical, occasionally bantering tone—questioning the value of trades, digging into cap machinations, and providing nuanced commentary on the strategic fit of new additions, always from the perspective of lifelong, plugged-in Cowboys observers.

Cowboys fans looking for context on Dallas’ latest moves, honest evaluations of acquisitions, and preview of further roster tweaks will find this episode essential. The hosts’ skepticism about overpaying or falling in love with draft pedigree is matched by their enthusiasm for roster-building with versatility and upside in mind.

Transcript

[Marcus Mosher]

Foreign

[Landon McCool]

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[Marcus Mosher]

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[Landon McCool]

cost of optional benefits plan features in Texas and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill credits. Credit stop if you cancel any lines.

[Marcus Mosher]

Qualifying credit required. Day one of free agency is in the books. We'll tell you how the Cowboys did next. You are Locked On Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked on podcast network. Your team every day. Welcome back to the Locked On Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked on podcast network. Your team every day. We'd like to thank you for making us the number one sports podcast network. I am your host, Marcus Mosher. He is Landon McCool. And on today's show, we're discussing day one of free agency. What a wild day across the NFL. Full disclosure, we are recording this late on Monday night. So if something happens over the night, we'll, we'll get you on the next show. But later, let's talk about the first move that the Cowboys made and that was trading for Rashawn Gary of the Green Bay Packers. We know the Cowboys had a need at outside linebacker. I was surprised that they made the trade for Gary, but what do you think of the trade?

[Landon McCool]

I liked it. I mean, I think, you know, some people are pointing out that it's probably more than they would trade. I, I, I, you know, it's a next year's fourth, so it's basically a fifth. I, I get that.

[Marcus Mosher]

But to me, you know, well, really quick, really quick.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah.

[Marcus Mosher]

Just because I got to defend myself on Twitter when it Was you say this.

[Landon McCool]

I'm sorry, I didn't, I didn't mean to push you.

[Marcus Mosher]

No, no, no, no. I, I want to point this out because I have. Oh, yeah.

[Landon McCool]

Oh, yes.

[Marcus Mosher]

I said, I said this is way too much for Rashan Gary. That's when Diana Rossini reported that it was a third round pick, not a day three pick. There is a big difference between a third and a fourth round pick. I think fourth round is still a little too expensive. But you're talking totally different things between the third and fourth.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, absolutely. And again, the reason they're pulling the trigger on a guy that had been not just rumored to be cut, but I think announced that he had been cut by the Packers.

[Marcus Mosher]

He said it was a hacker that got into his account.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. Oh, yeah, definitely. Yeah, for sure. I think it's, you know, it has to do with the cost control on the contract. Like they, we haven't seen. Exactly. They haven't done anything with the contract yet, and they can't until they've executed the trade. Right. They actually had to make a little bit of a couple moves to kind of get themselves enough run enough Runway to actually get him onto the team. But I, I expect with the way his contract currently is, that they're likely going to continue to restructure it. Green Bay also took on a bunch of dead money. I think, you know, it's like $17 million. So I think there is ways to kind of redo this deal and restructure, maybe give them some guaranteed money and take away some cap hit and make this a little bit more, you know, fungible or dealable. But I think as far as a player goes, you're getting a starting, you know, edge player who is going to be really crucial on early downs and then we can have a conversation about what kind of pass rusher they are. But I do think that if you're talking about a, you know, he's, he's not in the category of Hendrickson or the top end guys that are on the market. But I think if you're talking about someone who can play both sides, who can play the run and the pass, which there aren't a ton of these guys that are proficient at both. I think he certainly passes the bar as a pass rusher, but you're going to want him as part of a committee, not necessarily the top end guy, you know, the featured pass rusher in your committee.

[Marcus Mosher]

Here's the thing. The Cowboys just needed edge rushers. Donovan Azaraku is going to miss all of the Offseason workouts, we'll see about training camp. You've got James Houston, you've got Isaiah Land, and I guess you have Maris Leafa playing Edge as well right now, right? You needed more bodies, right? And this is a look at those other guys. Leo Fowl's £230, James Houston's £240, Isaiah Land's £240. You needed a bigger body guy than could hold up against the run, and that's Rashan Gary. He's got a long track record of being an above average run defender. I think you and I could debate about his pass rushing skills because you've seen his win rate drop overall the last couple years. I, I don't care about the sack totals, I care about the win rate, but he's still fairly effective in true pass sets. To me, he's a guy that you want to be like your second or third edge rusher, not your first. And I think that's, that's my biggest hang up here is if this is the only veteran edge rusher the Cowboys grab this offseason, I'm going to be disappointed because it's not enough. But if they Draft 1 at 12 or they sign a Joey Bosa or they sign a Trey Hendrickson, I think it changes the angles here.

[Landon McCool]

I mean, I, I, I would not be shocked if it was still both. You know, like, honestly, I, I wouldn't be shocked if they signed a veteran guy and they drafted an edge at 20 or 12 if there's one available to them. Because look, I mean, if you look at the, what has this defense has had success with is it's spreading out the sacks, right? Having a bunch of different players who can kind of do, who can do a little bit, right? And then you're going to, and I just talked about it on Twitter a little bit today, you're going to have, you know, probably five to eight sacks from your inside linebackers because they do a lot of sim pressure and blitz stuff, which is why you need edges who will are okay with occasionally dropping into coverage every once in a while. So you're going to spread that out a little bit more than in a typical 43 where you're just always attacking 4 and dropping 7. But you still need more bodies, right? Like that's what's important, is that, yeah, it's, you certainly can't look at this and rest on your laurels and say, all right, we've done our edge work. You know, we're done for the day. I think it May be more important instead of spending more $20 million or $25 million on one pass rusher, maybe having two 10 million dollar pass rushers because you're going to rotate these guys anyways. You have a need of a volume. You like what you've gotten as a rocku but you can't necessarily rely on it. You need bodies to kind of help alleviate and spread out the risk a little bit. And, and then you can manufacture a certain amount of pass rush on top of that if you can figure out your linebacker situation.

[Marcus Mosher]

And again, I agree with all of that. I think my only issue is he's not being paid as a 10 million dollar edge rusher right now. Now that could change. And again we need to evaluate this deal as is right now, which is him playing on I think it was it 19 million this year or sorry, 18 million this year, $22 million next year, something like that. Now he's never going to play the 2027 season on a 22 million dollar contract. There's also no guaranteed money, which makes this a deal that's going to be fairly easy to rework. We actually saw the Cowboys, we should mention this really quickly. They reworked Terence Steele's deal early on Monday morning. They reworked Malik Hooker's deal to save some money, give those guys more guaranteed money. I think that's going to happen with Gary, but I can't say for sure. So I have to evaluate this deal the way that it currently is.

[Landon McCool]

That's fair. But I think yeah, it's also right for us to point out that this deal is imminently adjustable because of the fact that there is no guaranteed money. You could guarantee him the max and bring his money down to the minimum potentially. There may be regulations against that. But the point being is that there's a lot of flexibility here for a guy that doesn't have any guaranteed money. And even if you like him and even if you wanted to keep him, let's say he has a good year, he fits the system, he plays well here, he's still very young. If you like him and he plays well next year and you want to keep him, there's still that option as well to add a void year or move the money around some more. So the good part is that there is no. Yes, I agree if he plays in the contract untouched. It's not, it's not great that you spent a fourth round pick and he's. And you're giving up that much in, in caps cap space. But I, I just have a hard time Believing that that is how what's going to end up being the case when it makes it. When both parties benefit from a situation like what we've suggested.

[Marcus Mosher]

Why do you think the Cowboys gave up a fourth round pick considering all the Packer guys thought he was going to be released? Rashawn Gary put out a note on Twitter on Saturday that he was going to be, you know, he was getting moved on from. Why did it cost this much?

[Landon McCool]

Because look how much Jalen Phillips got in unrestricted free agency. These guys are getting insane amounts of money. Like it's like what do you get, $125 million for four years or something. And Jalen Phillips is a good player. Absolutely bet. Probably better than Gary value wise. But he also has a lot of injury history and a lot of these warts. Right. These guys are getting paid a lot of money and I think what you wanted was the ability to control the cost here. We've talked about this already that you have a all in situation and this isn't like the Trey Hendrickson move, but this is still a guy who is going to be extremely valuable for you on first and second downs and stopping the run and setting the edge and, and can also be a solid pass rusher as part of a rotation. You still needed a guy like this. This is a upgraded version of Jadevion Clowney, basically. So I just think that, you know, you're filling roles that you need and you're not done yet. I mean we all this first wave. A first wave, but you still have the top guys at both linebacker and edge rusher still available in free agency for some reason. So it's, it's a little bit disjointed and there's still opportunities out there to continue to fill this role.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, let's talk about the move that I'm actually really excited about. I'm not, not that I hate Rashawn Gary. I just, I've got very mixed feelings. I don't have mixed feelings when it comes to Jalen Thompson. Let's talk about that signing next. This episode is brought to you by TurboTax. It's tax time. But for a lot of us, the old ways of doing taxes is a lot. Trying to book an appointment that's not the most convenient. Sitting in a waiting room with stack of paper, with a stack of paper, emailing back and forth, wondering if they really got your situation right. But this year you're getting a major upgrade. Intuit TurboTax now has in person locations nationwide. You can meet face to face with a real tax expert and your documents get up loaded straight to your TurboTax app on the spot. And just like that, you're done. Your TurboTax expert works to get you every dollar that you deserve while you get real time notifications as you go about your day. It's the relief of walking in and meeting with a real person and walking out knowing that your taxes are being handled right. Head to turbotax.com local to find a store near you and book your appointment today.

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[Marcus Mosher]

Welcome back to the Lat on Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. Free agency is officially here and so are we. Get one month free of the everyday club with code Free agency no spaces now through March 15th. Go ad free and keep this conversation going on discord. Join the club@lockedon cowboys.supercast.com all right, Lana, let's talk about the one signing the Cowboys did have on Monday, and that is Jalen Thompson, the safety from the Arizona Cardinals. This has been one that's been kind of rumored for a while. We knew the Cowboys liked him. What are your thoughts on the player and the deal?

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, it sounds like it's a, it's a, it's a good fit because of, of the history that he has with Christian, sorry, Ryan Smith, right. The, the defensive backs coach that, that came from Arizona and, and really is just a, a really versatile, you know, ins, down and back, you know, inside, outside guy. I mean, not outside, but he's, he's played, you know, nickel. He's played free safety. He's played strong safety. And we've talked about the need to kind of have these sort of versatile defensive backs on the back end in the system. And I think he really, really fits the bill. He's got real long arms. He's got good athleticism. He's a real interesting guy because I Think he came in, if I'm not mistaken, in the supplemental draft just a few years ago. Yeah. Back when that was a thing. Right. So. And, and even when it was a thing, it was pretty rare to get, to get, you know, worthy guys in the supplemental draft that ended up making something of themselves. So, yeah, just a kind of an unusual guy. This kind of gets lost in this process a little bit. But you know, if you go back and watch the Arizona tape, like this guy was all over it, you know, playing opposite of Buddha Baker. And, and just really provided. If you think about how the, the Cardinals had to use Buddha Baker, they put him all over the field. They lined him up everywhere. They, they needed another safety that could play off of that. Right. That could, that could, that could do the other thing that, that you needed the safety to do while Buddha Baker was being put into positions to make plays. And I think that in itself has incredible value. And this guy really showed that, that ability to kind of do it all. And I think especially in that kind of big nickel role that they're looking to play, I think he could be a really effective player.

[Marcus Mosher]

So the deal that I saw three years, 36 million, could make upwards of 38 million, but it's really like effectively a two year, $22 million deal when it comes to guaranteed money. I saw the Athletic, they were projecting him at like 15 to 16 million dollars a year. So it was coming way in under that. So again, I think the deal itself is really good, but I, I think the fit is awesome as well. You mentioned the versatility. I've got some numbers for you. Since joining the league in 2019. Listen to these breakdowns. 2100 snaps in the box, 1200 snaps in the slot, 2500 snaps as a free safety, 150 as an outside corner, and then he's got about 50 as a box player as well. On top of playing on some special teams units, I mean, they moved him all around. Talking to Alex Clancy, our guy here from lockdown Cardinals said his best work is as a box safety that can cover that, cover the flats. He's a really good tackler. I think with Malik Hooker being back for 20, 26, I think this fits really well.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And I wouldn't be shocked if they weren't done here. I mean, you need three safeties in a modern NFL defense anyways, and I don't. I mean, they didn't Tinder, Wanye Thomas. We've got Marquis Bell coming back, but I'm interested to see kind of where he Ends up fitting because after talking to a couple different folks including Cody Alexander, friend of the show was I, I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up playing nickel. I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up as your big nickel. And especially considering what his role as

[Marcus Mosher]

a linebacker shocking though because he's smaller than what we would think were thinking the Cowboys were going to want as a slot defender.

[Landon McCool]

Well, no, I mean he's, he's 612 0, isn't he? Like, I mean.

[Marcus Mosher]

No, no. 511, 190 is what he was last year.

[Landon McCool]

Well see it's funny right? Like because when he was playing linebacker he was 612 15. And then when he was playing safety he suddenly moved to 5:11 to 190. So I don't know. I, I've always viewed him as kind of a, a nice size safety. So maybe, but maybe I'm wrong but I, I, you know, I think, I still think that he has the mentality. I mean think about the, the physicality that he had to play with at linebacker. You know, that's the kind of physicality that you're looking for at the position. And it is a little bit of a mentality thing I think as well. So we'll see. It'll be interesting to see how that fits.

[Marcus Mosher]

I'm a huge fan. This is exactly what the Cowboys needed. They needed a versatile guy that was good in coverage that could stop the run. Now he want to be clear, he's not an all pro safety. He's not Kyle Hamilton. He's not with Derwin James. He is a, an above average starter. And this is a position that over the last couple years safeties have gotten a lot more expensive. It used to be these guys were available on the market for like $5 million, $6 million. Now with a lot of teams use utilizing the short passing game, throwing the ball over the middle of the middle of the field more, you need more of these versatile defenders. I, I think this is a fantastic deal for Dallas. They needed more depth in their secondary. I, I, I'm with you. I still think they could use another safety. I wouldn't be surprised if they drafted a Dylan Thieman. If Caleb Downs makes it to 12, we're having a party and we see the Cowboys use more 3 Safety looks back like they did when they had Dan Quinn.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, and again like I think guys like Thompson and Downs, if you were to get a guy like that, I think you know one of them could play full time nickel if you needed them to so, yeah, I, I think it's a good signing. It makes a lot of sense. You can plug them in where you need them and you're not like, you know, hold it. Beholding yourself to like a specific spot you. Now, I think you could draft either a safety or a nickel and feel pretty good because Jalen Thompson could fill the opposite role just like he did when he was with the Cardinals.

[Marcus Mosher]

Also, I think it also, it opens you up to other types of safety. So we've been talking about Caleb Downs and Dylan Theman. Those have been two guys that we spent a lot of time talking about. I wonder if someone like Emmanuel Neil Warren, who the Cowboys met with at the combine, a bigger safety, six two, 210, that's got long arms that can play as a free safety, maybe that's somebody that you can draft now, put him as a, you know, your future free safety and you pair him and Thompson together for the foreseeable future. It just opens you up to a lot of possibilities on the back end.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And I mean putting, playing McNeil Warren in this scheme, especially in the back end, I mean, it's a no brainer, right? Like, I mean he could play the halves really well in a quarter. I think he would do, he would thrive in that role. So, yeah, I think it does. I think it gives you more opportunity to not feel like you have to go get a guy who can also play nickel because you've got at least this guy and like I said, maybe Marquis Bell as well to kind of fill that role if you need him to.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, let's talk about the Cowboys linebacker position because that's the one thing that still isn't solved. They were aggressive on Monday. They didn't get it done. But we'll tell you what happened next. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. College basketball is non stop. Big games, tight spreads, momentum swings every single night. From early tip offs to late night west coast shootouts. There's always action on the board. And now FanDuel is giving you a way to turn that energy into an even bigger potential win with a college basketball parlay profit boost. You can build any college hoops parlay that you want. Rivalry games, ranked matchups, whatever fits your read. You can mix spreads, totals and player props to match how you see the slate playing out. Then you can apply the profit boost and instantly bump up the potential payout. Go safe. Go bold. Ride with the team that you've been riding with all season long. It's your parlay. It's your style now with more upside behind it. Head to FanDuel.com to get started. That is FanDuel.com FanDuel play your game.

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[Marcus Mosher]

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[Marcus Mosher]

Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. Landon let's talk about the linebacker situation because the Cowboys were in on several linebackers this week. They were interested in Quay Walker who signed a three year, forty million dollar deal. I guess that was their number one target. I'm happy that one didn't work out.

[Landon McCool]

Honestly.

[Marcus Mosher]

They were in on Nakobe Dean. They, according to Jane Slater, they offered him a very similar deal to what the Raiders gave him, which was three years 36 million. Dean decided to take the Raiders offer instead. He thought it was a better football fit for him. Devin Lloyd is still a free agent. What's going on at linebacker?

[Landon McCool]

Everyone's kind of doing their own thing, right? It's weird. Like I think the Devin Lloyd situation is odd that he hadn't signed yet. You know, I, I kind of understand the Hendrickson thing a little bit because he's, you know, hasn't hit free agencies and older guys taking his time. But, but the, the Lloyd situation, it's, it's kind of perplexing a little bit, especially with all these other guys like go ahead.

[Marcus Mosher]

Do you think so he wants to be the highest paid linebacker, I'm sure at the position or at least the highest one in free agency.

[Landon McCool]

In free agency, yeah.

[Marcus Mosher]

And he had an all pro year in the contract year. Do you think that's what is bogging this down as teams are a little bit leery of giving him a record setting deal after only one year production?

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, 100%. I mean we talked about, look, we forgot to mention in the last segment, but one of the things the Cowboys did is follow one of our rules, right? They went out and got a couple of guys that they were familiar with and, and they, you know, that they knew about. I think one of the rules with, with Lloyd that we talked about was don't pay for just one year of production, you know, and, and I think Devin Lloyd was a first round pick and he was a very average linebacker for three years of those four years, or was it four or five years? And, and, and at this point now like comes in into a contract year, absolutely blows it up. You know, could it be part of partially the, the change in scheme and, and you know, him being in the right place at the right time, I mean his numbers were incredible. But, but interceptions and stuff like that are very fluky. Why would you want to necessarily pay a guy who's been a middling linebacker $18 million? And it's, it's, it's like you have to project here, right? And this is the issue, right, is you're projecting that this guy is on an upward trajectory, but you don't know, right? And you're paying, like we said, they're doing the things you shouldn't do. You're paying for one year of production. So it's a risk. And I think other teams probably see that as well.

[Marcus Mosher]

And it doesn't help that he's a little bit older. I mean, he was a first round pick and was it 20, 22, but he'll actually be 28 in September, which again is not old. But it's only two years younger than Fred Warner, right? It's only a year younger than Roquan Smith. And these are guys that a lot of people think are like declining assets right now. If he wants to get paid $20 million a year, I obviously don't think that money's coming, otherwise he would have gotten it. Would he accept the deal? More in the 15, 16 million dollar a year range? We'll see. In all likelihood, when you guys listen to this, he'll probably have signed with the team. But if it's not Devin Lloyd, it's not going to be Nicoby Dean, it's not Quay Walker. What do you want the Cowboys to do at linebacker?

[Landon McCool]

Well, right now they're exploring trades. You know, they're looking around to see who's available. I think that, you know, they're probably waiting to see exactly what does happen with Devin Lloyd. But I, I think at this point, you know, you can still find some decent players because you're able to open up your, your, your scope a little bit on what kind of linebacker you're looking for. Right. I think at this point, you're probably still thinking about, you know, hey, if Sonny Styles falls to you at 12, maybe you pull the trigger. So you definitely need to, to fill the role. You definitely have to get some linebackers anyway. So just start going to get, you know, the, a linebacker that you like at the price that you like. The trade situation, like it needs to be for the right guy. I feel like if you're really gonna, you know, simply move the needle. But otherwise, like, you've got to get linebackers. Either way. Your, your first linebacker you signed doesn't have to be the, the big swing. It could be a middle round guy. So maybe you, you sign a guy and just kind of hang around the rim of the Devin Lloyd situation to see what happens.

[Marcus Mosher]

I don't want them to let me back up. They get in trouble when they are trading for former first round picks who are big names. Right. That haven't produced. Whether that was Kyrie Elam, whether that was Kenneth Walker. I mean, the list goes on and on. Jonathan Bingo wasn't a first round pick, but he was a high second round pick. If they're going to trade for somebody, we talked about this on Monday's show. Trade for a player who is good and not for somebody who you think has untapped potential. Right. And you can trust your coaching staff a lot. But don't go up and give out, you know, give a $10 million contract to a linebacker who has never played to that ability. Right. And just some of the names that we've heard floated around kind of fall into that bucket. I would much rather them go out and sign like a Leo Chanel from the Chiefs. And yeah, he, he's a flawed player, but he's $7 million a year and I think he upgrades your linebacker core pretty dramatically.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And I think the play style fits. Right. Like he's a very downhill fit. Yeah. And I think, you know, listen, I mean, we, you talked about Devin Lloyd being 28, right. And like that being a negative about, you know, his being an advanced age. I think that that's also informing his reason to like reach for the stars. He just had an all pro year, $20 million. Like that's what I'm going to be asking for. I think once that price starts to come down, then the negotiating can really actually start to begin there. But, but if you don't want to go that route, then like you said, like there are still guys you can go out there and get. And the best part about all this is that, you know, I don't think any of these trades are going to involve your two first round picks. So you still have two first.

[Marcus Mosher]

Oh, if they do, I might be quitting this podcast and I know there's people listening that would be happy about that. But no, I, it's absolutely not. Well, let me ask you this. Is there even a linebacker in the league that you would pay a first round pick for?

[Landon McCool]

Do I get a time machine that comes with Fred Warner or no? Okay. No, I don't think so. I mean, not an awful linebacker.

[Marcus Mosher]

No.

[Landon McCool]

But yeah, I think, I think, I still think that the, again, the good news about this defense is that if you can find a smart, you know, guy who's physical and come downhill and, and you know, can chase a quarterback a little bit, that there's, there's use for that kind of linebacker this defense too. Whereas maybe that type of play style wouldn't fit in a, you know, more four, three drop back situation.

[Marcus Mosher]

We'll see. I'm expecting the Cowboys to be even busier on Tuesday and Wednesday. I, I would expect them to sign multiple defensive guys, including a linebacker and a defensive lineman. Maybe they signed a cornerback. I know the first, second and third waves of free agency are already over, but this is generally when the Cowboys get involved. We'll see what they do the next 48 hours. That is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making Locked on Cowboys your first listen every single day. If you never miss an episode, the everyday club is built for you. Go to LockedOn cowboys.supercast.com to join the members only discord and so much more. You're going to get the this podcast for just $5 a month. Again, go to lockedon cowboys.super cast.com to join the club. And for those of you on video, we can send you the first ever 24. 7 national NBA YouTube channel. And on audio, make your second listen the locked on NFL Draft podcast. Follow Landon on Twitter @McCool BCB. I'm @Marcus Underscore Moser and we'll see you right back here tomorrow. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With usaa, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a'@usaa.com bundle restrictions apply. Not to brag or anything, But Arby's new $7.99 meat and three box is kind of a big deal. The other guys give you just one side. We give you three sides not to brag. You get a meaty sandwich, curly fries, Mott sticks, a sweet treat and a drink, all for just 7.99. It's more meal for your money.

[Landon McCool]

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[Marcus Mosher]

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[Landon McCool]

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[Landon McCool]

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