One Deal May Be Close. The Two That Matter Most Aren't.

The Quinnen Williams extension talk gives Dallas something it hasn't had much of this offseason: a contract story that seems to be moving in the right direction. Stephen Jones flagged the Cowboys' interest publicly, Williams has been a presence at camp, and the defensive tackle position is one where the urgency is obvious — he's the only interior lineman who logged meaningful snaps last season, with nothing behind him that's proven anything at this level. Getting that done would be a genuine win.

But Prescott and Lamb are still unsigned, and camp is winding down. Prescott threw for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns last season on an expiring deal. Lamb played 13 games and remained the offense's most reliable weapon when healthy. Neither has a long-term contract. The Cowboys added Sam Howell as a backup in late July, which covers the depth concern at quarterback in the short term, but it doesn't resolve the larger question of what Prescott's future in Dallas actually looks like. Pickens already fell through — the franchise tag is where that one landed after the mid-July deadline passed without a deal.

Three significant contracts, one offseason, and the clock is nearly out on camp. The Williams situation, if it closes, would at least shore up a defense that's been hemorrhaging depth all summer — Charles Snowden suspended, bodies banged up across the secondary, the linebacker room thin enough to be a genuine concern. That's real. But the Cowboys finishing 7-10 last year wasn't primarily a Quinnen Williams problem. It was an offense that stopped executing in December and a roster that ran out of margin. The two contracts that most directly touch that story remain open.