The Cowboys have had a more active offseason than they’re typically used to, but they’re not done yet, especially as it pertains to fixing the middle level of their defense.
In addition to a near-complete overhaul of the defensive coaching staff, the team is totally revamping its personnel as well. Dating back to the late-December release of Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys have let another 11 defenders from the 2025 roster leave via either trade or the open market.
Rashan Gary, Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant, and Jonathan Bullard are among the new names in Dallas for 2026, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer made it clear that there are still some prime job openings on the defensive side of the ball, including at linebacker, where the team is perilously thin.
“There’s some spots we would like to fill and maybe a starter or two on defense that we’re still looking for.”
Schottenheimer made the comments Monday in a Q&A with reporters at the league’s annual meeting in Phoenix. Even though most fans have turned their full attention to the upcoming draft, the second-year coach revealed that the Cowboys won’t necessarily be twiddling their thumbs as they sit on two top-20 selections.
“We’ve got firepower going into the draft, and we’re not done,” he said. “We’re always open for business.”
The club tried to do a fair bit of business in free agency and were said to have been in discussions at one point or another to land veteran star linebackers Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and Devin Lloyd.
“We made a run at some guys in free agency,” Schottenheimer acknowledged. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And what do you do? You just adjust. It’s something we’re working on 365, 24/7. We’ve got a good plan. … So part of it’s going to be [DeMarvion Overshown] having a tremendous year. Shemar James is a guy we’re excited about. But we recognize that we’ve got to fill some holes there.”
Positional nomenclature does come into play, at least this year as the Cowboys transition from a 4-3 base to more of a 3-4 scheme under new coordinator Christian Parker. A 3-4 can effectively blur the dividing line between defensive end and linebacker, much like it did back in DeMarcus Ware’s heyday. Of the current DEs, Sam Williams has already been called “a prototype outside linebacker” by Schottenheimer. Add in Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, and James Houston to that larger pool of names, and maybe the situation in that general area of the field doesn’t sound quite so dire.
Nevertheless, the Cowboys currently have just four official linebackers on the 2026 roster. They need more. Overshown has shown incredible potential but has been on the field for just 19 games since being drafted in 2023, with two ACL tears raising sobering questions about the 25-year-old’s long-term viability. James, an undrafted second-year man, is likely not yet starting material. That leaves fellow 2025 UDFA Justin Barron (1 game appearance) and Marist Liufau, who Dallas has already said will convert to more of an edge rushing role. Isaiah Land is standing by on the practice squad.
While the Cowboys would certainly seem to be open- as Schottenheimer suggests- to a pre-draft trade for veteran leadership in the middle level, the coach also won’t rule out turning over the keys to the new Dallas defense to one of the highly-regraded rookie linebackers coming out in this year’s draft class.
“Yeah, depending on who the guy is and what their football instincts are and things like that,” Schottenheimer said. “It’s happened before. Again, he’s going to be surrounded by a lot of really good veteran players at all three levels. And so I think that if you get the right guy, absolutely.”
That right guy could be waiting for Dallas in the first round, with prospects like David Bailey (Texas Tech), Arvell Reese (Ohio State), Sonny Styles (Ohio State), CJ Allen (Georgia), and Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas) among this year’s top talents.
Or the Cowboys could focus on putting together a trade offer for a veteran like the Dolphins’ Jordyn Brooks, the Titans’ Azeez Al-Shaair, the Giants’ Bobby Okereke.
Maybe even both avenues are in play.
Per Schottenheimer, the Cowboys are keeping their options open.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys HC admits roster issues, ‘Got to fill some holes’ at LB
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
