Dallas Cowboys make multiple trades and signings that put plenty of pressure on newly hired coaching staff during free agency

The Dallas Cowboys are tasking Brian Schottenheimer's coaching staff with a very complicated task a few days into 2025 free agency.

On Wednesday, the Cowboys executed a couple of trades: One for Buffalo Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam and another for Tennessee Titans linebacker Kenneth Murray. Though each played for different teams and on different positions, they share something in common: They are former first-round draft picks that didn't work out for the teams that drafted them (Murray was picked by the L.A. Chargers in 2020).

And hey, free agent signings DT Solomon Thomas and DE Payton Turner match the description, too.

Thomas is the most accomplished of the players on the list, yet he failed to meet the expectations of a No. 3 overall pick and he certainly failed with the San Francisco 49ers, which led to his ousting of the team after three years of his career. 

That's the theme of the Cowboys offseason, it seems like. The Cowboys have never shied away from making low-risk, high-reward bets but in 2025, they're taking it to another level this year by bringing in four former first-rounders looking to bounce back. 

Best case scenario, they a couple of them work out and the Cowboys get away with stealing some talent on the cheap. Worst case scenario? They didn't cost much. Not even the traded-for players Elam and Murray as the transactions involved late-round swaps.

Ultimately, the pressure falls on Schottenheimer's coaching staff. After all, it's on them to develop these talented players that have failed to make the transition to the league. In its first comments to the media, this staff has consistently described itself as a group of teachers that can help players unlock their next level of football. 

Well, now they've got talent that couldn't quite figure out the NFL for a variety of reasons. Elam was, in the eyes of many, misused by the Bills. Turner's athleticism never translated to better competition and injuries were a factor. Murray hasn't translated either. What can the coaches do to alter the trajectory of these former first rounders? 

We'll have to wait to find out.