The Musers The Podcast – Cowboys Weekly: "The Window Is Now"

Hosts: George Dunham & Bob Sturm
Date: February 19, 2026
Episode Focus: Dallas Cowboys' Urgency & Team-Building in Their Championship "Window"

Episode Overview

This episode is a deep dive into the Dallas Cowboys' current roster construction, salary cap strategy, and the importance of maximizing what the hosts call the urgent "Dak/CD/Quinnen window." George and Bob discuss what the Cowboys must do in the next two to three years to capitalize on their best shot at a Super Bowl, touching on player contracts, draft and free agency strategies, coaching shifts, and the critical evaluation of players like George Pickens. Throughout, they mix banter with data-driven breakdowns, aiming their insights at die-hard Cowboys fans bracing for big offseason moves.

Main Themes & Key Points

1. Defining the Window: Why Now is Vital (00:33–06:28)

• Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Quinnen Williams Form the Core: The team’s highest-paid, most talented trio are all in their primes and form the basis for “win-now” urgency.
  • "We're going to fix this. In '26, Jerry's going to get this right. He and Will McClay are going to join hands and they're going to figure this whole thing out..." — George Dunham (00:47)
• 2–3 Year Contention Horizon: The realistic chance at a title likely stretches through 2028 at most given player ages, contracts, and cap realities.
• No Time for Slow Rebuilds: Every move—draft, trades, contracts—should maximize the team’s short-term title chances.

2. Roster Moves: Building for a Narrow Window (06:28–16:47)

• Aggressive Approach Needed: The Cowboys must prioritize immediate contributors over developmental prospects or long-term projects.
  • "I think you have to flip that on its ear and say, 2026 is vital, 2027 is even more vital, and 2028 is where we're going to feel the window's closing." — Bob Sturm (06:45)
• Draft ‘To the Window’: Willingness to draft older, NFL-ready rookies despite less long-term upside (e.g., Hakeem Mazador, a 25-year-old rookie).
  • "That's a great point that I have not even considered—drafting to the window." — George (11:54)
• Exploring Bold Trades: Example raised—trading for Max Crosby—met with significant skepticism due to age/cost but shows the kind of urgency being considered.
• Free Agency & Internal Re-signings: Priority is placed on locking down George Pickens long-term and considering moves for players like Jadavian Clowney.

3. Cowboys' Salary Cap – Myths & Mastery (18:24–36:10)

• Cowboys CAN Be Aggressive: Despite some media perceptions, the team is highly capable of freeing up enormous cap space through restructures.
  • "(The Cowboys) can create $131 million just by sending emails (restructuring contracts). So if anyone's trying to tell you the Cowboys don't have cap space, they have more cap space available than anybody in the league." — Bob (32:45)
• Eagles as a Contrasting Example: Philly has fully committed to win-now with restructures and have very little remaining flexibility, in contrast to Dallas’ “unplayed cards.”
• Cap 101: Bob articulates the voidable years/restructure process, reassuring fans that big numbers on paper (like being $61 million over) are misleading when not accounting for standard team maneuvers.
  • "You save 31 on Dak, 19 on CeeDee, and 18 on Tyler Smith... So already we're under the cap now by like 7 or 8 million." — Bob (28:00)

4. Player Prioritization & Negotiation (41:47–59:09)

a. George Pickens Contract

• Must-Keep Foundation Piece: Both agree to pay market value to keep Pickens in Dallas; see his chemistry as transformative for the offense.
  • "George Pickens was, you know, we kind of vilified him before he got here. He couldn't have been better for this team." — George (43:25)
  • On contract value: "I think four times $28.7 million or so is probably what you're looking at." — Bob (52:25)
  • "Priority number one—get this long term deal done (with Pickens) for flexibility for this year and also guarantee him for this window..." — George (53:01)

b. Additional Moves

• Javonte Williams: Lock down the running back with an eye to his rising value. (Suggested at 2 years, $8M per year range).
• Jadeveon Clowney: Seen as a practical veteran edge rusher addition, preferable to overpaying for a trade like Crosby.
• Defensive Free Agents: General skepticism about investing heavily except for specific, proven fits.
• Offensive Line Decisions: Debate over whether to keep Terrence Steele versus moving other linemen into tackle spots; the balance between floor and ceiling across this position.

5. Philosophical Insights & Fan Engagement

• Emphasizing Realism over Hope: Both emphasize sobering realism about what it will take to win—and about the cost and risk of bold moves.
• Nuanced Player Evaluation: Discussion on how hyper-focus on single plays or “effort” can skew perceptions of players like Pickens, with references to Michael Irvin's intensity and receiver responsibilities.
  • "You could have 50 losing snaps and go get one sack a game and people would lose their mind about you. But are you actually doing a great job?" — Bob (48:16)
• Modern Media/Fan Perspective: Acknowledgment of fans being more informed, scrutinizing contracts and player effort with unprecedented access and analysis.

Notable & Memorable Quotes

• On urgency:
  "Every move you make this offseason should be about maximizing that two or three year window. You don't have time for a slow build." — George Dunham (01:05)
• On front office spending:
  "The Cowboys are routinely at the bottom in real dollars spent, and that's frustrating and makes no sense to me." — George (21:12)
• Rationalizing Pickens’ occasional loafing:
  "Hey man, every route is not full speed. It's just not. That's just the way it goes." — George quoting George Pickens (44:02)
• On the reality of roster churn:
  "There’s a number of ways to talk this out, but obviously it would help if we knew anything about Christian Parker and his staff. They’re all guys, like, in their mid-30s...I love the direction; I just don’t know what to make of it yet." — Bob (61:01)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Defining the window & roster priorities: 00:33–16:47
• Detailed salary cap mechanics & restructuring: 18:24–36:10
• Offseason philosophy & draft approach: 11:00–16:47, 58:09–62:30
• George Pickens interview discussion: 41:47–46:34
• Player contract debate (Pickens, Williams, Clowney): 50:20–59:09
• Fan/media expectations, evaluating ‘effort’: 44:02–50:20
• Front office/ownership spending habits: 21:12–22:29, 32:45–36:10

Style, Banter, and Notable Moments

• Banter & Chemistry: The episode is laced with the signature Musers blend of dry Dallas humor and friendly argument; George is more emotional, Bob more analytical.
• Media Savvy: Both reference the Twitter-driven increase in fan scrutiny, and the irony of fans now understanding contracts better than owners might want.
• Pop Culture Sidebars: Reference to George Pickens’ cameo on Micah Parsons' podcast, including his quirky ritual:
  "To get hyped for a game... George Pickens watches cooking shows." (42:57)

Conclusion & What’s Next

Bob and George wrap with agreement on the need for bold, targeted moves—the off-season’s about “drafting to the window,” securing Pickens, Williams, and Clowney, and leveraging Dallas' cap flexibility. They tease future deep dives into draft prospects and express optimism about a wild Cowboys off-season, urging fans to “keep the faith.”