FRISCO, Texas -- It wouldn't be a Dallas Cowboys offseason without a key star player's absence during the offseason program because of a contract dispute.

In 2024, All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb held out until August when he re-signed with Dallas on a four-year, $136 million deal with $100 million guaranteed. Last year, All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons held out the entire offseason until Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones decided to end the saga by trading him to the Green Bay Packers a week before the 2025 season kicked off. 

This year, Dallas COO/EVP Stephen Jones revealed the team shut down long-term contract talks with Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens after applying the franchise tag on the 25-year-old wideout. After a career year in 2025 in which he racked up 1,429 yards receiving, the third most in the entire NFL, Pickens is locked in on a one-year salary of $27.298 million fully guaranteed instead of receiving a long-term extension. 

The lack of a new, multi-year contract could certainly be one of the factors in Pickens absence thus far at Dallas' organized team activities (OTAs) portion of the offseason. These practices are voluntary, but in a wink-wink sort of way. Lamb and four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott were in attendance at practice on Thursday, along with the vast majority of the Cowboys' roster. 

"No, he has not," Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Thursday when asked if Pickens has been in the building. "As you guys know, it's voluntary. I communicated with GP yesterday. He's got a [youth] football camp this weekend, that he's doing himself. Communication has been good and as you guys know, it's voluntary. He's taking care of his business."

The big question that remains is whether Pickens will show up at the team's mandatory minicamp in the third week of June. Schottenheimer didn't address that directly with Pickens during Wednesday's chat, but the expectation is that he will show up when attendance is mandated. 

"No, we haven't discussed that. But I expect he'll be here," Schottenheimer said. "I think he's in a good spot. Again, I know he's handling his business and I know he misses his teammates. We miss him too. You guys know how we feel about him, we love him. This is just part of the business."

Both Schottenheimer and Prescott have said throughout the offseason that Pickens has been participating in throwing sessions organized by the Dallas QB away from the facility. That's why there's an organizational faith that he'll be able to hit the ground running upon his return to the facility.  

"Yeah, I mean, there's still communication going on. I'm not sure exactly what they do. You guys know Dak does a great job working with all the guys, whether they're here, whether it's this time of year, whether it's in the summer," Schottenheimer said. "They always go someplace, they'll go someplace this summer and train and throw. It's a chance for them to develop their timing, but in terms of the specifics of it, I don't know exactly."

A true competition at left tackle

There's an old adage in the NFL that you know whether or not a player is going to be a regular, impactful contributor by their third season. That's because a player will have had two years of in-season experience plus a full offseason without draft prep to hone their craft. Schottenheimer subscribes to that adage. 

"Usually you have a pretty good sense by Year 3," he said.

However, Dallas is still figuring out what they have in 2024 first-round pick left tackle Tyler Guyton, but it's not for a lack of ability. It's because of a lack of availability. Guyton missed a couple of games as a rookie, and a concussion sidelined him for a game around the halfway point of Year 2 in 2025. Then, a high ankle sprain knocked him out for the final six games last season. Guyton himself said he was "really close" to returning to play at the end of the 2025 season after rehabbing his way back from the high ankle sprain.

"I was actually really close," Guyton said. "I was busting my ass bro, every day. ... I just wasn't healthy yet."

That's why Schottenheimer has opened up the 2026 left tackle starting spot to a true competition between Guyton and 2024 seventh-round pick Nathan Thomas. Thomas started four games in Guyton's absence last season. 

"Tyler understands the importance of this year. Why? Because it's the next year. We're going to make Tyler earn it," Schottenheimer said. "Tyler and Nate Thomas are competing for the starting left tackle [spot]. Why? Because we think that's going to get the best out of Tyler Guyton. And the best out of Nate Thomas."

So what is Schottenheimer looking for out of his 2024 first-round pick? Consistency -- staying healthy and on the football field. 

"Tyler's biggest thing is the consistency has not been there. Very talented, maybe one of the most athletic big men I've ever been around with his ability to kick slide, punch, move, run. But there's got to be more consistency," Schottenheimer said. "That's been the challenge that he's been working extremely, extremely hard on. I was in here the other day on Saturday morning, and I had to get a couple things. There were really two guys in the building: [2025 seventh-round running back] Phil Mafah and Tyler Guyton."

In Guyton's eyes, consistency is a way of life.

"Consistency is a whole thing. You can't just be consistent at one thing," Guyton said. ... "Going to sleep on time has to be consistent. Eating has to be consistent. How you're training. How much work you put in. Your life has to revolve around consistency."

It's not just on the weekends that the 29th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is seeking to get extra work in. After practice on Thursday, Guyton spent extra time out on the grass after the conclusion of practice, working with right tackle Terence Steele and other linemen on additional technique work. Today's work was a program retired 2010's All-Decade Team left tackle Tyron Smith put together for the present-day Dallas offensive line when he stopped by the facility before practice. Smith retired last offseason, and he's made it a habit of popping by his old stomping grounds every now and then to help provide some wisdom. 

"It helps a lot bro. There's things that happen during the day, and you might lose a rep on one thing and you can try to do it again," Guyton said. "Especially with your guys that saw what happened. Today, we had a regimen from Tyron. He really wanted us to get on the [resistance] bands with the sandbags, and that's what we did. I think it helps a lot. ... Gold jacket [Smith] shows up when he wants. He's been a big help for us as offensive linemen." 

Guyton possesses a very clear focus this offseason: his strength. That starts with his stance and posture, something he's focused on learning from Smith. 

"I feel like that [strength] is one of the biggest models for offensive linemen," Guyton said. "He [Smith] tells me my posture is where my money is going to be at. Your posture on contact is everything. If you don't have good posture, you're not going to win a rep. A rigid spine, getting your hips down. All that shit."

What Pro Bowl DT Quinnen Williams is working on this offseason

Everything that could have gone wrong with the Dallas Cowboys' defense in 2025 did. Dallas never found its footing after trading away All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons a week before the season began, and players never fully clicked with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus' zone coverage-based scheme. That's why Eberflus was fired after just one season and replaced by Philadelphia Eagles defensive passing game coordinator Christian Parker this offseason. 

An overwhelming number of Dallas defensive players haven't been able to stop raving about Parker's communication skills and attention to detail as he has gone about installing his new 3-4 defense full of disguise coverages. Williams noted that both of the last two Super Bowl champions, the Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks, as well as every conference championship game participant from the 2025 season -- the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots -- all run a version of their scheme that was pioneered by Vic Fangio, the Eagles' current defensive coordinator and Parker's mentor. Parker worked alongside Fangio both with the Denver Broncos (2021-2023) and the Eagles (2024-2025), coaching defensive backs. 

"Ninety percent of this defensive staff and the players are turned over," All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams said Thursday. "The guys we brought in from coaches on down to players are unbelievable, man. The scheme itself man, you get to see it around the league. A lot of people who run this scheme have unbelievable success. You got the Rams, you got Denver. You got the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks kind of run a similar scheme. The New England Patriots kind of run a similar scheme. All the top defenses in the league run this scheme, and I'm super excited for the way that CP runs it and how meticulous he is with the details he hones in."

Williams was arguably the lone bright spot on Dallas' defense a year ago as the only player on that side of the ball to represent the Cowboys at the Pro Bowl. However, Williams is looking to raise his level in 2026, particularly as an interior pass rusher. He racked up at least five sacks every year from 2020 to 2024, with a career-high 12.0 in 2022, resulting in his sole first-team All-Pro selection. Williams totaled just 2.5 sacks in 2025, tied for the fewest in his seven-year career, and his figure from his rookie year in 2025 was 1.5, coming after he was traded to Dallas at the trade deadline from the New York Jets.

"I think I can be better at pass rushing. I think I can change up some of my game, change up some of my footwork," Williams said. ... "Just to be better at pushing the pocket, pass rushing and getting the quarterback on the ground. That's a thing I think I can take a bigger step at doing so."

Injury updates

Two of Dallas' key defensive pieces, edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku (hip) and cornerback DaRon Bland (foot), underwent surgery this offseason. That's why both are taking it easy until training camp. Bland worked exclusively with the director of rehab, Britt Brown, off to the side at Thursday's practice, while Ezeiruaku participated in individual and position drills before joining the rehab group during team periods. 

"We got a few guys that we're going to be smart with, you know, Eze, DaRon Bland and guys like that. Again, you'll see them throughout the next couple weeks, advance into more individual drills and stuff like that, but a few of those guys we are going to be really smart with," Schottenheimer said. "But right now, we're pretty healthy, and most of our guys are in a good spot."   

Schottenheimer expects both to be ready to roll for training camp come July. 

"Oh yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Both guys are doing great. It's more of us taking precaution and being smart," Schottenheimer said. "They both want to get out there. Again, it's OTAs and it's more important that they're learning the scheme and system and all that as opposed to them going out there and getting team reps."  

Training camp joint practices opponents revealed

The Dallas Cowboys have 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and his new team, the Los Angeles Rams, on the schedule in 2026, with a Week 15 date set for Dec. 20 at SoFi Stadium. Dallas will be one of the first teams to see Garrett in action with the Rams, with Schottenheimer announcing on Thursday that the Cowboys will have a joint practice with Los Angeles in training camp. Dallas also scheduled another joint practice with the New Orleans Saints, who are coached by Kellen Moore -- a former Cowboys backup quarterback and offensive coordinator. 

Dallas has held joint practices with the Rams in each of the last two years, and the Cowboys use those practices as the real opportunities for their starters to suit up in the preseason, with Dallas opting to hold them out of the actual exhibition games in August. 

"It must be post-June 1. That was my first thought," Schottenheimer said when he heard news about the Myles Garrett trade to the Rams and the A.J. Brown trade to the New England Patriots. "It's what you love about it. It's a competitive business. ...  I'll let the cat out of the bag on this one: We'll have a joint practice against Myles and the Rams along with New Orleans and Kellen and those guys. I think that's because of the relationship that we've built up with Sean [McVay] and his staff, and obviously, we know Kellen. We had a couple of other options that we were looking at, but we want to go compete against some of the better teams and better players. You guys know our stance for playing starters in the preseason, so we want to get that work done."