Barry Switzer coached theDallas Cowboysto their last championship in January 1996, winning Super Bowl XXX. He resigned after a 6-10 season in 1997 and has had no official attachment to the franchise since. This week, though, his grandson changed that.
The Cowboys have invited Presbyterian College running back Zach Switzer to the rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. This wasn’t just an afterthought with connections to Dallas’ dynasty years. He put in three seasons at Presbyterian after washing out at Memphis, earning his shot the hard way.
The production Zach put up at Presbyterian earns the tryout on its own. Across three seasons, he ran for 1,330 yards and 12 touchdowns across 258 carries. He also caught 64 passes for 666 yards and six more touchdowns. In 2024, he produced 1,250 all-purpose yards – the most by a Presbyterian player since 2017 – averaged 27 yards per kick return, and earned All-PFL First Team honors as a return specialist. At the FCS level, those are legitimate numbers for a back competing for an NFL roster spot.
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Tryout players at the rookie minicamp notably compete for a contract that would bring them back for the OTAs and mandatory minicamp in June. The Cowboys had already drafted seven players this offseason andbrought in 11 more UDFAs, mainly aimed at fixing the defense. As a tryout rookie, Zach’s last name is enough to open the conversation. Now, his performance has to close the deal.
Owner/general managerJerry Jonesspent nearly three decades trying to get back to where Barry Switzer left off. The irony of this week is that while a Switzer will be back on the practice field, the receiver Dallas traded a third-round pick to acquire is nowhere in sight.
Dallas’ voluntary workouts opened on Monday, April 27th. George Pickens wasn’t there, and the Cowboys have no assurances he will be. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer had already confirmed at the NFL Owners Meetings in March that he had no guarantees Pickens would attend the offseason program.
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“And I haven’t pushed that on him,” Schottenheimer said. “I mean, again, we’re all going through the process. It’s almost April. We’re still a couple weeks away. It’s going to play out the way it plays out. Again, it’s all voluntary. We’ll see where it goes.
But April is almost over now, and Pickens stillhasn’t signed his franchise tender– the $27.3 million one-year contract that would put him officially back with Dallas. Until he does, he faces zero penalties for missing anything, including the OTAs and mandatory minicamps.
Last week, the Cowboys shelved all long-term extension talks until 2027. The next day, Pickens and his agent, David Mulugheta, notified Dallas that they intend to sign the tender. But intending to sign and an actual signature on the paper aren’t the same thing. And as per the latest reports from NFL insider Adam Schefter, things are only getting more complicated.
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“He wants a long-term contract, or he would like a trade,” Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show. “They have been very clear they’re not going to give him a long-term contract. So now that leaves them in position, both sides, I think that’s a little bit unsettled at this current moment.”
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Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones had already said there are no plans to trade George Pickens away from Dallas. But Schefter pushed back on that idea, noting that his camp was already calling teams during the 2026NFL Draft, probing for trade interest. Nothing came back. Dallas responded by signing two wide receivers –Marquez Valdes-Scantlingand Tyler Johnson. It’s not a replacement move, but not a show of confidence in Pickens either. And Dallas might still be inclined to let him go, depending on the offer at hand.
“I don’t think it’s entirely off the table that at some point in time, he could be traded,” Schefter added. “Even though the Cowboys have been adamant that they have no plans to trade him. At some point in time, if there’s a team that’s willing to give them a decent enough haul in return, I would think it might be in everybody’s best interest at the time.”
There is still a July 15 extension deadline, but right now it looks like that deadline will pass whether Pickens signs the tender or not. Jerry Jones can’t force him into the building. Dallas holds his rights, but not his schedule. So,the uncertainty continues.
