Key Highlights
- The new league year begins in just eight days, with the legal tampering window opening on March 9.
- All 32 NFL clubs have to get under the $301.2 million salary cap by March 11, 4pm eastern, but deals with new players can be negotiated for two days prior. With so many needs, especially on defense, the Cowboys have spent the last several weeks identifying which prospects fit their plans for 2026, and which ones will give the best bang for the buck in salary.
- One of the biggest needs Dallas will have is at the safety position, which under new DC Christian Parker, also looks at the nickel defender and not just the typical free and strong, or split varieties. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSo which free agents should the Cowboys' be looking at?Here, we've taken the Top 100 rankings from five different outlets (Pro Football Focus, NFL. com, FOX Sports, USA Today and CBS Sports) as of March 1, as well as the projected average annual value (AAV) from Spotrac and PFF, to augment which players best fit the expected Parker defense.12.
- Nick CrossIndianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross (20) wraps up Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) on Sunday, Dec.
- 28, 2025, during a game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Age: 242025 PFF Grade: 59.8Expected AAV: $8.9 million11.
