The 49ers, it appears, were reluctant to let Winters go, but the Cowboys managed to get a deal done during the draft.
The Dallas Cowboys needed linebacker help entering the NFL Draft, and they got it via a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Cowboys traded a fifth-round pick to their NFC rivals for linebacker Dee Winters, who, most think, will come to The Star and start for Christian Parker's defense.
Dallas desperately needed bodies at linebacker after missing out on several players in free agency, and the feedback on the move has been positive.
No, the 5-11, 225-pound Winters isn't a world-beater, but he's no scrub, either. He can be very productive.
He's coming off a season with the 49ers that saw him play all 17 regular-season games for the first time in his three-year career, along with the 49ers' lone playoff game.
So, he comes to the Cowboys as a part-time looking to further establish himself in the league and to prove last year wasn't just a flash in the pan, and Dallas will be looking to take full advantage of that.
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch described his thoughts on Winters and how the trade with Dallas came about.
"That’s tough because Dee’s a guy who’s done a lot for us here. Sixth-round pick out of TCU," Lynch said via The Athletic's Jon Machota. "But Dee is one of the favorite guys in that locker room amongst his teammates. He’s done a lot for us on the field.
"We just felt like we were in a good position at linebacker, and Dallas has been really interested in him for a long time. And I’d say the talks probably started with myself and Stephen Jones, when we were talking about Osa (Odighizuwa). They’ve stayed on that. We kind of held it off for a while, and as we got there (Friday), we just felt like it was the right thing to do for our team.
"It’s a good opportunity for Dee. I think there’s a lot of opportunity for him to shine, and just very grateful for Dee’s time here and all his contributions he made to our squad."
Now the Cowboys have addressed their linebacker needs, but should they be done?
Winters, at least, eases the pressure for the franchise to go all-out trying to sign one, as he has starting potential under Parker.
Yes, the depth isn't exactly great, with Shemar James, Marist Liufau, Justin Barron, and then rookie Jaishawn Barham behind Winters and DeMarvion Overshown.
Still, it's a start, and the Cowboys managed to get a player that the 49ers didn't really want to lose.
Now, time will tell if Parker can get the most out of his newly acquired linebacker in 2026.