The Dallas Cowboys came into the offseason needing to show vast improvement in the red zone offense from a year ago. In their joint practice with the Rams, it was clear that an elevation in that regard has taken place.
The team will have to open up the bank if they want to keep wide receiver George Pickens long term, but they can do so and still keep their other stars on the team. The preseason starts this weekend, and several veterans will be fighting to stay on the roster.
Cowboys’ offense shows welcomed red zone improvement in joint practice with Rams – Jon Machota, The Athletic
One of the biggest weaknesses of the Cowboys’ offense last season was red zone efficiency. During their scrimmage with the Rams, the improvement was noticeable.
Offense
• The first-team offense was very good in red zone work. Dak Prescott had two touchdown passes to CeeDee Lamb, one to KaVontae Turpin and another to tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford. The best highlight of the four was probably a back-shoulder throw to Lamb. Prescott also had a touchdown pass on a slant to Ryan Flournoy.
That’s one of the biggest areas the Cowboys need to improve on from a year ago. The extra work they’ve been putting in during camp practices appears to be paying off.
Overshown: ‘It felt good’ to see Cowboys’ improvements come to life in Rams joint practice – Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire
It wasn’t the best showing for the Cowboys’ defense in their joint practice with the Rams in 2025. That changed earlier this week when the two teams linked up in Los Angeles.
Hanging with- and even getting the better of- one of the preseason Super Bowl favorites, Overshown admitted, made it feel even better.
“It’s good to hit a different color jersey. I feel like we’ve been going at it with our offense, and they’re one of the best in the league. So getting to see what we’ve got versus another top offense, it puts stuff in perspective,” he said.
Joint practice exposes Dallas Cowboys flaw that raises serious questions right before the 2026 NFL season – Mauricio Rodriguez, AtoZ Sports
The Cowboys had a bunch of positive things to take from their joint scrimmage with Rams. With that said, right tackle Terence Steele’s shortcomings are concerning.
Steele struggles in Cowboys’ practice with Rams
The Cowboys took on the Los Angeles Rams on a joint practice on Tuesday. And even though Myles Garrett was held out, Steele noticeable struggled in pass protection. The practice happened behind closed doors, so there’s limited video on it, but here’s a behind-enemy-lines look at how Steele’s day went.
How the Cowboys can pay George Pickens and still keep their stars – One Cool Customer, Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys won’t be getting a long-term deal done with George Pickens until the next offseason. However, thay can pay him and still keep a competitive roster.
The 4-and-6 model
This is the fundamental value of the rookie contract.
Suppose four of those ten players are still on rookie deals, costing perhaps $4-6 million each rather than the roughly $26 million average you’d pay at the top of their respective markets. Suddenly, you’ve shaved roughly $80 million off the cost of your top ten players. That’s not a minor salary-cap advantage. That’s the mechanism that makes the entire roster possible.
In a healthy roster-building cycle, you want something like six established players getting paid at or near market rates, while four of your best players are still providing production on cheap rookie contracts.
Bubble ‘Boys: These Cowboys are battling for roster spots as preseason play begins – Joseph Hoyt, Dallas Morning News
Dallas will begin preseason play this weekend. Here’s a look at who is fighting to make the final 53-man roster.
TE Luke Schoonmaker
The Cowboys released their first unofficial depth chart Tuesday. There was one notable distinction. The Cowboys listed Brevyn Spann-Ford as their second tight end and Schoonmaker as their clear third. The former second-round pick is heading into a contract season and knew this was an important training camp for him. So far, he hasn’t flashed a ton and he’s had multiple drops. It also doesn’t help the Cowboys gave their biggest undrafted free agent deals this year to two tight ends.
Mick Shots: Multiple benefits of Big Q extension – Mickey Spagnola, DallasCowboys.com
Earlier this week, the Cowboys locked up defensive tackle Quinnen Williams for the foreseeable future. Here’s the advantages for Dallas getting the deal done.
Next, this extension allows Dallas to restructure his remaining two base salaries to lower his cap charge, especially for 2026, by prorating the signing bonus over five years. That means for 2026, Williams’ $20.75 million base reduces to $1.3 million plus the $6 million proration, saving the Cowboys now a wallet full of salary cap space for this season. Also puts the $31 million in Williams’ bank account as soon as he signs the extension, so he doesn’t have to wait around for the weekly payments in 2026 to reach the $20.75 million total.
Daily discussion question: Do you care if the Cowboys win their preseason games? Why or why not?