Another Super Bowl has ended without the Dallas Cowboys participating in football's biggest dance. Now that the 2025 season is officially over, the Cowboys' offseason is ready to kick into the next gear, leaving time to tell what owner/general manager Jerry Jones has planned to help address the team's many needs.
Since the regular season ended, the Cowboys have already done some damage to a divisional rival's staff. Hiring Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator Christian Parker to be their new defensive coordinator was a big blow, and now America's Team can twist the knife and keep hurting the Eagles by stealing their best free agent.
With Parker now calling the shots in Arlington, there's a direct line to Georgia star Nakobe Dean.
Nakobe Dean Must Be on Cowboys' Free Agent Target List
Dean missed the start of the 2025 season with an injury, and it seemed that he was going to lose his starting job to star rookie Jihaad Campbell. That wasn't the case, and he sent the rookie to the doghouse as soon as he was eligible to return.
Dean finished the season with 55 total tackles (30 solo), seven tackles for loss, six QB hits, 4.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass defensed in 10 appearances (eight starts). That was right after breaking out for a career-best 128 tackles in his Super Bowl-winning season.
The Eagles must prioritize other areas of their roster, such as the secondary and the offensive line. They've already spent top dollar to keep Zack Baun in town for the long run, so doubling down on the position by also giving Dean a big-time extension might not be a smart use of their salary cap. Also, Campbell didn't play much in the final stretch of the season, but he showed plenty of promise when given a long leash.
That leaves the door wide open for Dean to test free agency and pursue a new challenge somewhere else, such as in Dallas. He's already familiar with the NFC East, as well as Parker's body of work. Even though he wasn't a defensive back or played directly for him, Parker's familiarity with Eagles DC Vic Fangio's system means he might know how to put Dean in a spot to succeed right away.
Spotrac is currently projecting that Dean will command a market value of $7.9 million annually. Even though the Cowboys are nearly $29.1 million over next season's salary cap, Dean's projected contract isn't impossible for Jones & Co. to make things work, especially if they get rid of some bloated contracts as well.
Adding a talented linebacker while hurting the defending NFC East Champions in the process is the type of move that the Cowboys need after a mixed 2025 campaign. That's why Jones needs to get everything lined up to offer Dean the best contract he can, ensuring that Dallas' defense becomes more formidable than it was last season.