The Dallas Cowboys are moving wisely in 2026, it all feels a little surreal. On Thursday, . Neither Brevyn Spann-Ford or Ryan Flournoy have "arrived" in the traditional sense, but both enter Sunday's season opener with key roles in Brian Schottenheimer's offense. With most of the offseason focus on improving the defense, the offense's now and immediate future are getting addressed.
The moves show that the coaching staff strongly believes in what the two young players are getting ready to contribute, and more importantly, they've convinced the front office to act now in an effort to secure the future. Both Spann-Ford and Flournoy were pending restricted free agents following the season, which means that the Cowboys could've had to place tenders on each, similar to what they had to do this past offseason with TJ Bass. Bass is now entrenched as the starter for at least the first four games of the season, and possibly more, after an injury to left guard Tyler Smith.
The Cowboys feel confident there would be similar minimal fall off if either of the two youngsters were thrust into even bigger roles. That's saying a lot because Spann-Ford backs up two-time Pro Bowler Jake Ferguson and Flournoy backs up All-Pros CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
If either has to take on a central role this season, there's a likelihood a second-round tender wouldn't dissuade teams from coming calling. Without the extensions, Dallas might end up forced to use first-round tenders; an increased amount that would require a team to give the Cowboys their top pick while also awarding the player a hefty contract.
The WR move prevents the Cowboys from being at risk of losing both Pickens, playing on the franchise tag in 2026, and Flournoy from what is expected to be one of the league's best offenses. A second-round tender will be around $6 million in 2027, so Dallas simply got out in front of that amount, giving Flournoy money now to compensate for his expected large role in this year's plans.
The TE move is a three-year extension that gives Dallas the flexibility to move on from Ferguson at the end of this year or the next, or keep the duo in place all the way through 2029 if they choose. Spann-Ford is an excellent blocker, a key ingredient considering Dallas' pass protection difficulties at their tackle positions, but has also been making strides as a receiver.
Both players were exempted from preseason action, indicating Schottenheimer sees them as central figures to the season. Now the front office has followed suit.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: