One of the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest areas of need is at the linebacker position and the Cowboys came up flat in the first week of free agency in that regard.
So it’s still an area of need, but is there anyone left at this point? There is one big name left there that Dallas is now being linked to, but he’s 36 years old. Can Dallas really be picky at this point, though?
How about a trade? There is another name there Dallas is linked to, though a Steeler linebacker seems out of play. Here is the day in Dallas.
Bobby Wagner Cowboys free agent
Dallas’ first pass at trying to find a veteran linebacker came up empty, but there is still a big name out there in Bobby Wagner, a potential future Hall of Famer who had 162 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two interceptions this season for the Washington Commanders.
He’s 36, so not a long-term fix. Dallas figures to get a long-term fix with one of their first two draft picks, but Wagner would clearly help the Cowboys next season. Wagner has been a six-time first-team all-pro, a five-time second-team all-pro and a 10-time Pro Bowler. Last year broke a string of 11 straight all-pro mentions, but he did win the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
He was one of three free agents still on the board Sports Illustrated’s Randy Gurzi linked to the Cowboys, along with Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi and their own free agent Dante Fowler Jr.
Of Wagner, Gurzi wrote: “Head coach Brian Schottenheimer knows Bobby Wagner from their days in Seattle, and while Wagner will be 36 before the season begins, he was still effective this past season for the Washington Commanders. Wagner had 162 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and two interceptions.
“Wagner wouldn’t be a long-term answer, but he would be an ideal starter in the middle of the defense. He would also serve as an excellent mentor for some of the younger players on the roster, especially if the Cowboys land a linebacker in the NFL draft.”
Jonathan Greenard
With the biggest names at edge rusher this offseason, Max Crosby and Trey Hendrickson no longer in play (seemingly no longer in play in Crosby’s case), the Dallas Cowboys now will look to pivot, and the talk now is centered around Minnesota Vikings star Jonathan Greenard.
This was a post on X from Evan Sidery, the NFL writer for Forbes: “With Trey Hendrickson now off the board, teams who were pursuing him now plan to pivot towards a trade for Jonathan Greenard.
”The Colts, Cowboys, Eagles, and Seahawks figure to be in the mix with the price being a 2026 Day 2 pick.”
Dallas’ only Day 2 pick is their third-rounder at No. 92, which would seem a reasonable price for a 28-year-old edge rusher, albeit one coming off a down year that was plagued by a shoulder injury. In 2024, Greenard had 12 sacks and 59 tackles, then had three sacks in 12 games this year.
Joe Milton
A year ago, Dallas seemed to be taking a gamble when it picked up Joe Milton to be their QB2 and let Cooper Rush leave.
Rush ended up signing with Minnesota, then was terrible when he got a chance to play this past season. Now he’s back on the market as the Vikings released him. That seems to be validation that Dallas was correct to ride with Milton.
Milton looked adequate in limited time last year (the Cowboys hope his playing time is limited this year, which will be the case if Dak Prescott stays healthy), going 15-of-24 passing with a touchdown and two interceptions.
The Cowboys picked up Sam Howell in free agency to compete with Milton for QB2 and Dallas could potentially draft a quarterback in the late rounds to groom for the future, but at the moment, Milton seems pretty secure in his job.
Dallas Cowboys tickets
The Dallas Cowboys won’t start selling single-game tickets until they have a schedule, which will be released on May 13 this year. When tickets go on sale, fans will have to act quickly to get tickets on the official Cowboys website.
Third-party sites like Ticketmaster and SeatGeek are also options.
Dallas Cowboys draft picks
Here is the list of picks the Cowboys currently have for the NFL draft, which is April 23-25. The first round is on the 23rd, the second and third are on the 24th and rounds three through seven are on the 25th.
Patrick Queen
One option at linebacker Dallas was linked to is Pittsburgh Steeler Patrick Queen, who is reportedly being dangled by the Steelers because he had a poor 2025. Given his performance last year, he does not seem a clear upgrade, and now the Cowboys, it seems, are no longer interested.
From Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: “Dallas had some intrigue in the building, but the team officially pulled out of its preliminary interest Thursday afternoon,” Harris said of a potential Queen trade.
In 2025, Queen had 120 tackles, one sack, and eight tackles for loss.
When was the last time the Cowboys went to the Super Bowl
The last time Dallas went to a Super Bowl was Super Bowl XXX, following the 1995 season, when the Barry Switzer-coached team beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17. That was Dallas’ eighth Super Bowl; the Cowboys are 5-3 in Super Bowls.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Dallas Cowboys news and rumors: Are there any LBs still available?
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
