Sometimes, things fall in unfortunate ways. When the 2025 offseason started, the Dallas Cowboys knew they had issues to resolve along the offensive line. Future first-ballot Hall of Famer Zack Martin was lost for the stretch of 2024, and honestly hadn’t been his All-World self since he held out for guaranteed money in 2023. He filed his retirement papers this spring, adding right guard to the questions the team had at left tackle and with their overall depth.
The front office made several moves to address this, signing multiple free agents prior to drafting Alabama’s Tyler Booker with the No. 12 overall selection in the amateur draft. Booker’s selection ended the projected battle between incumbent Brock Hoffman, who started in Martin’s place last season, and Robert Jones, signed in March. Jones was still going to be a key backup, but unfortunately suffered a serious neck injury during the early days of training camp, ending his season before it started.
And therein lies the unfortunate ways, plural, because not only do the Cowboys have less interior depth, but the Jones signing is going to hurt them in the future. The Cowboys are likely going to lose a 5th-round pick in the 2026 draft because they signed Jones.
Dallas is a master at using the compensatory pick formula to their benefit. Each year, the NFL awards 32 extra picks that are spread out over the third through seventh rounds, based on which teams lost more qualifying free agents than they signed. Teams are allowed to receive up to four comp picks based on a ledger of who they signed and who they lost to other teams, and the picks are tiered based primarily on the size of the contract.
The Cowboys are in line to get a fifth-round comp pick for losing CB Jourdan Lewis to the Jacksonville Jaguars on a three-year, $30 million deal. But they had been in line for a second fifth rounder for losing DE DeMarcus Lawrence to the Seattle Seahawks.
Only that’s now in jeopardy.
Running back Javonte Williams, also a free agent signing this spring, has emerged as the Cowboys’ top back. His play time, along with that of fellow signing Solomon Thomas, have moved both into the projected formula as being worth seventh-round picks.
Immediately following the draft, both Thomas and Williams were below the cutoff of making it into the formula, as was lost OL Chuma Edoga. Now all three are in.
The long of it is, that because the Cowboys now have four added free agents who qualify, and only five lost qualifiers, they cannot get two comp picks. Even though the cost difference between Lawrence ($10.83 million a year) and Jones ($3.5 million a year) is huge, they have to cancel each other out.
A player who will likely never suit up for the Cowboys (one-year deal) in a regular-season game more than likely cost them a fifth-round comp pick.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Free agent who won’t take single snap will cost Cowboys 5th-round comp pick in 2026
Reporting by K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
