FRISCO, Texas – Even late into the night on Monday, the Cowboys continued to see movement in and out of the building during the NFL's legal tampering period, which ends tomorrow at 3 P.M. C.T. when the new league year officially begins and free agents can put pen to paper.
On Tuesday, Dallas also agreed to terms with their first defensive free agent of the 2025 cycle and retained one of their key weapons on both special teams and the offensive side of the football.
We'll dive into that and more in the second day of our free agency recap, and remember to keep up with our Cowboys free agency tracker for the latest updates as they come through.
In signing KaVontae Turpin to a three-year extension on Tuesday, the Cowboys kept both of their restricted free agents around on extensions with Turpin and Markquese Bell signing this week. Both are key components for Dallas' special teams unit and will continue to be as Nick Sorensen enters his first season as the Cowboys' special teams coordinator.
Turpin is one of the fastest and most lethal kick returners in the league, earning first team All-Pro honors last season with both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown. He also stepped up in a big way as a wide receiver, notching career highs in receptions (31) and yards (420) to go along with two additional touchdowns.
Under Brian Schottenheimer, will Turpin have a chance to use his world-class speed an a more increased role as a receiver? We'll see, but you can't teach speed, and Turpin sees himself as a weapon that can contribute everywhere.
Former Jets defensive lineman Solomon Thomas is heading back to Dallas, as the Coppell High School graduate agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Cowboys on Tuesday, adding depth to the defensive front for Matt Eberflus.
Thomas also reunites with Aaron Whitecotton, who was his defensive line coach over the course of his three seasons with the Jets and was hired to Brian Schottenheimer's staff in January for the same role. In their three years together, Thomas tallied 83 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, nine sacks and 50 pressures.
The third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft to the San Francisco 49ers, Thomas has been a consistent depth piece for a majority of his career, and will hope to ascend to a more prominent role in line with where he was selected.
With Zack Martin retiring, the Cowboys have a spot to fill at right guard on the offensive line and agreed to terms with former Dolphins offensive lineman Robert Jones, who will likely compete for the job with Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass.
In 2024, Jones started all 17 games for the Dolphins at left guard but has played right guard in the past over the course of his four years in the NFL. In his career, he's allowed 11 sacks and 54 total pressures.
With Jones entering the picture, unless Dallas elects to pick up another guard through the draft/free agency or move someone like Cooper Beebe out, the job will be won by a former undrafted free agent. Jones went undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State in 2021, Hoffman out of Virginia Tech in 2022, and Bass out of Oregon in 2023.
Solomon Thomas wasn't the only Texas native to return to his home state, as the Cowboys agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Houston native and former New Orleans Saints defensive end Payton Turner on Tuesday afternoon, putting another body in Dallas' EDGE room.
Turner was a first round pick out of the University of Houston in the 2021 NFL Draft to the Saints, where he's spent the past four years of his career. He's battled shoulder and turf toe injuries in the 2022 and 2023 seasons respectively, limiting him to just 15 games throughout his first three years at the NFL level.
In 2024, Turner had his most active season yet, playing in 16 games for New Orleans and reached career highs in tackles (21), sacks (2) and forced fumbles (2).
With Bryan Anger agreeing to terms on a new extension with the Cowboys, new special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen will have all three of Dallas' specialists back in the fold in his first season replacing John "Bones" Fassel.
Anger will be heading into his 14th NFL season and fifth with the Cowboys in 2025, the longest tenure that he's had with a single team in his NFL career. In his four years thus far in Dallas, Anger earned nods to the Pro Bowl and second team All-Pro teams for the first time in his career in 2021, and again in 2023.
Amongst all punter in NFL history, Anger ranks 16th all-time in punts that have landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line with 324, which is good for the third-most amongst all active NFL punters, trailing only Johnny Hekker and Thomas Morstead.
Late on Monday night, reports broke that former Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston agreed to terms with Dallas' NFC East rivals, the New York Giants.
Golston was a member of the 2021 Cowboys' draft class that had a heavy investment on the defensive side of the ball with selections like Micah Parsons and Osa Odighizuwa headlining the group.
2024 was the best season of Golston's career statistically, notching career highs in tackles (56), tackles for loss (5), sacks (5.5) and also picked up his first career interception in the Cowboys' 34-26 win over the Washington Commanders.
