Even though Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have been fairly active in the 2026 free-agency window, the reaction around it feels like a mixed bag. Some viewed the Rashan Gary trade as a smart move to bolster the defense, while others were left disappointed when the franchise couldn’t land Maxx Crosby. Ask Jerry, though, and his answer is simple: he likes what they’ve got.

“Yes,” Jerry said when asked if he’s pleased with the Cowboys’ free agency so far. “I think we’re within the boundaries of what we have available, what we’re trying to accomplish with draft picks and with (salary) cap. I wouldn’t try to re-visit or try to re-do what we’ve done on either that cap or the trades we’ve made. I like what we got.”

Heading into the 2026 offseason, Jerry and the Cowboys were expected to add key pieces to strengthen their defense. And looking at the first wave of free agency, it’s not hard to see why Jerry sounds optimistic about the direction they’ve taken so far.

For instance, Dallas opened the league’s legal tampering period by agreeing to terms on a trade for Pro Bowl defensive end Rashan Gary. The Cowboys finalized the deal by sending a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers.

While the trade drew some criticism, Gary’s arrival in Christian Parker’s defense was largely welcomed, especially since Dallas had been searching for an edge rusher ever since trading Micah Parsons to Green Bay last year. Still, many around the league expected Jerry to take a swing at Crosby instead.

From there, the Cowboys turned their attention to the secondary. After all, the team finished with the worst pass defense in the league during the 2025 season, ranking 32nd, while allowing 251.5 yards per game and 35 passing touchdowns. To address that, Dallas signed standout Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson.

Thompson also has a familiar connection within the Cowboys’ revamped defensive staff. The staff now includes cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith, who was hired away from the Cardinals. According to reports, the safety agreed to a three-year, $36 million deal.

Besides, the Cowboys also added P.J. Locke on a one-year deal. The 29-year-old arrives after spending six seasons with the Denver Broncos. In Denver, he compiled 174 total tackles and four sacks, while also forcing five fumbles and recording an interception.

And alongside the major Gary trade and the pair of additions in the secondary, the Cowboys also moved star defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers in a trade. That said, Dallas still holds a pair of top-20 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The expectation is fairly clear: strengthen the roster ahead of the 2026 season if the franchise wants to push for a Super Bowl run. But there’s still a caveat. While Jerry remains optimistic about the moves he’s made so far, the backlash hasn’t exactly gone away.

Critics view Jerry Jones as the biggest loser so far in free agency

Whatever Jerry Jones does tends to draw criticism. Sometimes it’s fair, sometimes it isn’t. Take last offseason, for instance. Jerry showed a lack of urgency when it came to extending Micah Parsons at the start of the 2025 free-agency window. As that played out, NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha labeled Jerry the biggest loser of free agency at the time.

Back then, the argument carried some weight, considering Jerry eventually traded Parsons. Fast forward to now, and Chadiha is back with a similar take.

He once again placed Jones at the top of his list of the league’s “Biggest Losers” after the very first day of free agency. And this time, too, the context isn’t hard to understand.

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“Gary is certainly an upgrade on what Dallas already had on the edge,” Chadiha wrote. “It’s also worth wondering how impactful he will be as a Cowboy. Gary was once considered an ascending talent. A torn ACL in the 2022 season changed all that; he hasn’t been nearly as proficient at pressuring quarterbacks since he was before that injury.

“The 29-year-old also is set to count for $19.5 million against this year’s cap. There’s a reason the Packers were considering releasing him at some point this offseason. Jones certainly found a cheaper option for his pass rush. It remains to be seen if it will be an effective one.”

Gary has struggled to fully meet expectations since signing a four-year, $96 million contract extension in 2023. While it’s true that he hasn’t recorded fewer than five sacks in any of the past six seasons, reports suggested the Packers weren’t entirely satisfied with the level of production relative to the size of that deal.

On top of that, some of the criticism also stems from Jerry failing to land either Crosby or Trey Hendrickson. Fortunately for the Cowboys, Crosby is still on the trade market. That means Dallas theoretically remains an option.

Beyond that, the Cowboys still hold the 2026 NFL Draft as another avenue to address key spots on the roster. Whether Jerry ultimately ends up looking like a winner or a loser is something that should become clearer in the coming weeks.