FRISCO - The first order of business for fans of the Dallas Cowboys is to understand the "Blow It Up'' plan, which as we have explained in detail in this space is the explanation for why owner Jerry Jones and the front office didn't fully invest in winning in 2024 ... preferring to keep the franchise's salary cap "powder dry'' for a 2025 remodel.
It's a controversial concept and it's not infallible. But that's what's going on ... all of which can lead to Dallas owning a mind-boggling total of $100 million in cap space next March at the start of the NFL business year. (No, the contracts of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons will not get in the way of the plan; they are, rather, very much a part of it.)
We broke down (see above link) how Dallas can (will?) get to the $100 million. And the next step for Cowboys Nation once that "first order of business'' is understood and accepted?
How will the Cowboys go about spending that money in the remodel? Which top free agents might they buy?
The Fish Report below offers great detail on that, naming eight veteran names, their probably prices, and their hopeful fits in Dallas. Obviously, as our Mike Fisher points out, a lot of this is, as Jerry likes to call it, "fungible.'' That is, some of the names of the guys who are free agents today could re-up with their existing teams tomorrow, thus removing themselves from our wish list.
But for now, a headline-grabbing candidate is ... Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.
It's being projected that Higgins, 25, will next spring land a five-year deal totaling $94 million, with an average salary of about $18.8 million.
Higgins was a second-round by the Bengals in 2020 and demonstrated star quality right away. He totaled over 900 receiving yards as a rookie and then had back-to-back seasons over 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022. In a Super Bowl LVI loss to the Rams, Higgins had four catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
This offseason, the Bengals passed on giving him an extension (he was reportedly looking for a three-year deal totaling $70 million) so he's playing out the string on his fifth-year-option total of $21 million.
Can Cowboys Nation envision Higgins as the No. 2 receiver alongside CeeDee Lamb as a way to revitalize QB Dak Prescott's aerial game? Fish - and $100 million in cap room - says it's doable.
