Cowboys Could Still Make ILB Addition

Murray, who is still a free agent, and the retired Wilson are now out of the organization. Injuries limited Overshown to just 19 of a possible 51 games in his first three seasons, but he is expected to start under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Looking for a partner for Overshown earlier in the offseason, the Cowboys pursued high-end free agents Devin Lloyd, Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. They came up empty on all three, while trade talks centering on the Dolphins’ Jordyn Brooks and the Steelers’ Patrick Queen did not lead anywhere.

The Cowboys finally made a couple of notable off-ball linebacker additions at the draft. The first came in a Day 2 trade with the 49ers, who sent Dee Winters to Dallas for a fifth-round pick. The three-year veteran was a 17-game starter for the first time last season, but he is not under contract beyond 2026. After trading for Winters, the Cowboys picked up a potential long-term solution in third-rounder Jaishawn Barham, a former Michigan Wolverine who went 92nd overall.

As things stand, Overshown and Winters look like the Cowboys’ starting tandem. James, Barham, Justin Barron and Curtis Robinson are also in the mix. However, bringing in another vet could still be on the table, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. As Machota notes, the Cowboys have not yet decided who will wear the green dot in his helmet and relay the defensive calls to his teammates. Rookie safety Caleb Downs, the 11th overall pick, may be a candidate to take on that role, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer said at the draft that the responsibility will likely go to a linebacker (via Tommy Yarrish of the team’s website).

Free agency has thinned out in general since it opened in March, but it may prove beneficial for Dallas that there are still a handful of battle-tested off-ball LBs available. Ten-time Pro Bowler Bobby Wagner heads the class. Age is working against Wagner (he’ll turn 36 in June), but it didn’t stop him from posting excellent production with the NFC East rival Commanders last year. Bobby Okereke, Matt Milano, Shaq Thompson and Germaine Pratt are a handful of other 30-somethings who could be of interest to the Cowboys if they are looking for a potential stopgap starter.