The Dallas Cowboys front office isn’t sitting still this offseason, and the latest buzz coming out of the NFL Combine in Indianapolis has fans buzzing.
Online reports indicate that the Cowboys are planning to place second-round tenders on both restricted free agent kicker Brandon Aubrey and offensive lineman T.J. Bass and honestly?
This might be one of the shrewder moves Dallas has made in recent memory.
The Aubrey Situation: Leverage Is Everything
Let’s start with the elephant in the room or should we say, the leg on the field.
Brandon Aubrey is one of the most dangerous kickers in the NFL right now. The three-time Pro Bowler holds the NFL record for field goals made from 60-plus yards, connecting on six of them over his career. For his career, he has hit on 112 of 127 field goal attempts.
The man is an absolute weapon.
But contract talks? Not so smooth.
According to online reports out of Indianapolis, Dallas and Aubrey’s camp remain at an deadlock.
The Cowboys have reportedly offered a deal that surpasses Harrison Butker’s $6.4 million-per-year salary with Kansas City which would make Aubrey the highest-paid kicker in the NFL but agent Todd France has reportedly countered with a $10 million ask, effectively stalling negotiations.
Aubrey himself has pushed back on some of the reported figures, calling certain claims “fake” on social media.
So where does that leave Dallas?
They’re comfortable placing the second-round tender on Aubrey at approximately $5.8 million for the 2026 season.
Here’s why that’s a power move: If another team tries to swoop in and sign Aubrey, Dallas has the right to match any offer. And if they choose not to match?
They walk away with a second-round draft pick as compensation.
Pretty good for a front office that usually leaves their fanbase scratching their head after certain transactions.
In this situation, the Cowboys are sitting in the driver’s seat.
T.J. Bass: Protecting the Interior
Now let’s talk about the less-hyped but equally important piece: T.J. Bass.
Bass is a restricted free agent with 10 career starts along the offensive line. He’s not a household name yet, but the Cowboys clearly see value in keeping him in the fold.
Dallas is reportedly planning to slap the second-round tender on Bass as well, at a cost of $5.8 million.
With interior offensive line depth being a premium in today’s NFL, protecting that investment at a known cost makes sense.
The Cowboys know what they have in Bass, and a tender ensures he doesn’t walk out the door for nothing while also giving Dallas right of first refusal if another team comes calling.
Why This All Makes Sense for Dallas
Here’s the part that really stands out to me and why I think these moves play directly in the Cowboys’ favor. Dallas does not have a second-round pick in this year’s draft.
Think about that for a second. They’re essentially using a tender at the second-round price point on two players, knowing full well that if they lose either one to another team, they’d be gaining a second-round pick they didn’t already have.
That’s not just roster management that’s chess.
If Aubrey and Bass both stay in Dallas, the Cowboys get their kicker and their offensive lineman locked in at controlled costs for the upcoming season.
If one or both gets poached by another team willing to pay a premium, Dallas walks away with draft capital to rebuild and reload.
Either way, the Cowboys come out ahead.
The Bottom Line
This is the kind of calculated, low-risk, high-reward maneuvering that contending teams make.
Aubrey gives this offense a legitimate scoring threat every time they cross midfield and Bass adds much needed depth and stability to an offensive line that needs it.
With limited draft capital this spring, Jerry Jones and the front office are playing it smart.
Lock in your key pieces, protect your options, and turn the restricted free agent rules into an asset rather than a headache. Cowboys Nation, the front office may not have it all figured out but on this one?
They just might.
🏈 Stay locked in. Free agency starts soon, and it’s going to be a wild ride.
NFL Draft takes place April 23rd-25th
Draft Order: 1st Rd- 12th and 20th; 4th Rd-#112 pick; 5th Rd- #150 and #177; 6th Rd-#215; 7th Rd-#221 and #225
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