A veteran star could still be available for the Dallas Cowboys to fill out their defense.
The Dallas Cowboys made two moves to address the vacancies at the linebacker position during the NFL Draft.
One was drafting Michigan EDGE Jaishawn Barsham, who Brian Schottenheimer said will be moving to a standup position on the inside of the box as a rookie. The other comes in a trade with San Francisco that saw Dallas send a fifth-round pick for 49ers breakout linebacker Dee Winters.
That builds an inside linebacker core of DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James, Winters and Barsham. It's a considerable improvement from where the Cowboys were a week ago, but do they need one more piece to the puzzle?
I'd vote yes, because several factors suggest you can never have enough bodies to work with in the middle of the field.
This time last year, Dallas was in a similar spot with James coming in as a rookie and newcomers headlining the starting group. Overshown is a known commodity, but his history of injury unavailability still makes it feel like we're just scratching the surface of seeing what he can do.
Winters, after leading the 49ers in tackles last year with 101, figures to be another starter with the rest filling in, including Barsham finding his footing in a new spot.
James should get an uptick in snaps after a solid rookie season, but there remains a lack of collective experience with Overshown and Winters, both 25 years old, as default "veterans" of the group.
Even at their healthiest, this unit still has some growing to do, potentially making first-year coordinator Christian Parker's job difficult, knowing one of them will be responsible for the defensive playcalling duties.
That's why the Cowboys could be inclined to kick the tires on a veteran linebacker late in free agency. The most obvious name is former Washington Commander and 36-year-old journeyman Bobby Wagner, who remains a free agent after his one-year $9 million contract in 2025.
Wagner has seen it all, and even if he doesn't become the Cowboys' top force (though he'd be plenty capable of it), his influence would be extremely valuable to this young group.
He's practically a coach on the field ... only partly because he's older than Parker himself.
The six-time All-Pro might immediately become Dallas' top run-stopping backer, as well, which has been a sore spot for the defense for years.
At the moment, the Cowboys have just over $13 million in cap room with a lot of roster flexibility as we prepare for minicamps. Wagner would likely command a similar one-year deal to what he had in Washington last year, and it goes without saying that his traits - athletically, cognitively and spiritually - would be a worthy investment.
Other, but more expensive options might include Lavonte David or Bobby Okereke. Then there's the trade market for Miami's Jordyn Brooks and Houston's Azeez Al-Shaair, two proven pieces who are younger than Wagner and rumored to have been shopped. We know the Cowboys' interest here, not just among the latter two but in the position as a whole, leading up to the Winters addition.
Dallas was a finalist in the free-agency running for Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and Devin Lloyd.
They were all strikeouts, and the Winters trade could leave the Cowboys content with this group. But the extensive attention here shows that Dallas isn't afraid to keep trying.
And trying one last time for an experienced veteran could be what the group needs to go into the offseason program with as much optimism as possible.
