The Dallas Cowboys' offensive coordinator Klayton Adams has made it clear that one recurring problem on the offensive side of the ball must be corrected before entering the 2026 season, according to NFL insider Jane Slater.

During her recent appearance on the Good Morning Football show by NFL Network on July 8, NFL Insider Jane Slater identified red-zone execution as one of the areas the offensive unit needs to focus on ahead of the regular season.

"Red zone execution is really an area they've got to focus on," Slater said during the Good Morning Football show by NFL Network. "It's gotten better from in years past, but Klayton Adams, their new OC...said for him it really is an issue of look, they had a lot of self-inflicted wounds, especially when they got in that red zone."

The Cowboys were far from dominant inside the 20-yard line last season. They converted just 37 of their 65 red-zone trips into touchdowns, a 56.9% success rate that ranked around 16th among the 32 teams.

Slater said during the Good Morning Football show that the Cowboys' OC Klayton Adams wanted quarterback Dak Prescott and the offense to improve ball security and avoid "self-inflicted wounds" ahead of the 2026 season.

"He said they need to use a better job of using the full width of the field when there's only five or six yards of vertical space to work with," Slater said during the same Good Morning Football show on NFL Network. "He said you've got to work on more of that lateral space."

The Cowboys ranked 2nd in total yards per game (391.9), 2nd in passing yards per game (266.3), and 2nd in first downs per game (23.1) in the league, while also ranking No. 1 in three-and-out rate at 13.0%.

Slater believes that while the Cowboys' offense is capable of dominating the passing game, Adams attributed the team's red-zone struggles to its inability to adapt its play design from open-field passing to condensed red-zone spacing.

The Cowboys have a new plan to maximize George Pickens

NFL's Jane Slater also revealed that wide receiver George Pickens would have a diverse role, as Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer and OC Adams have emphasized moving Pickens around more.

"But going back to George Pickens, one thing that's going to be interesting to watch is his alignment," Slater said during the same Good Morning Football show by NFL Network. "Schottenheimer and his OC are expected to move Pickens around much more, including significant work from the slot."

Pickens played as an outside receiver, as a primary vertical threat, and X-receiver in 2025. He lined up in the slot (inside) on less than 10% of his games when WR CeeDee Lamb was injured.

Slater believes that if the Cowboys move Pickens around and utilize his ability to be flexible (inside or outside), he could "be a chess piece" for the Cowboys on offense.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote