The Dallas Cowboys have added talent across the roster, but the linebacker position continues to raise questions as training camp unfolds. Recent interest in multiple linebackers, combined with fresh insight from Cowboys insider Jon Machota, suggests Dallas may not be convinced its current group is enough to withstand the demands of the 2026 season.
“So I’m a huge ‘action speak louder than words’-person, and it absolutely applies to covering this team,” The Athletic report, Machota, said on 105.3 The Fan on July 27. “And you don’t try and make a trade for Maxx Crosby, and then say, ‘Now we’ll just run this back’.”
Machota continued, “Right now, since then, after that fell through, you made a trade for Rashan Gary, and he used a first round pick on Malachi Lawrence. So I can at least say, ‘all right, they did address their interest there’. “But the agency starts, and you have interest in Devin Lloyd, Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and does Dee Winters make up for that? Is that enough?”
Machota added, “You know, so that’s where I’m kind of like you already have kind of shown your cards that you had. You knew that you were more of a linebacker. And so that’s why there’s part of me that doesn’t think that they’re done. I think they’re hopeful that winners can be on the sidelines. I think I am too. And [DeMarvion] Overshown is healthy. And maybe Shamar James takes another step in his second year. I don’t know. Maybe there’s something that you just didn’t expect that you see out here. And you’re like, all right, you know what? Maybe we don’t have to.”
The important trade opportunities that Machota discussed involved Maxx Crosby. Earlier this year, Crosby wanted to leave Las Vegas and was also offered a deal by the Ravens. But the Ravens had backed up from the trade and the Cowboys had a significant chance to hire Crosby. However, citing the reason for Crosby’s knee injury, the Cowboys backed up from a golden opportunity. That’s why Machota is also frustrated.
But the frustration of all the Cowboys fans, analysts and reporters is not about staying away from important trades, but also desperately searching for a linebacker.
Uncertainty behind the Cowboys’ linebacker corps and why linebacker remains a concern
The Cowboys have addressed several areas of their roster this offseason, but linebacker remains one of the few positions still surrounded by uncertainty. The team is counting on internal development and improved health. But there are also enough unanswered questions and one of them is the elite performance of DeMarvion Overshown.
Before suffering a serious knee injury, Overshown showed the athleticism and range that made him one of the Cowboys’ most exciting young defenders. His recovery has been encouraging, but expecting him to immediately return to his previous level after a major injury carries obvious risk. Though he has said, ‘People ain’t seen my best yet.’ Until he is back on the field consistently, Dallas cannot be certain what it has at the position.
The Cowboys are also placing significant faith in younger linebackers. Shamar James is expected to take another step in his development, while Winters was brought in to make the room stronger. Both players have intriguing upside, but neither has established himself as a proven long-term answer in Dallas’ defense. And that leaves the Cowboys relying on projection rather than production.
Those concerns help explain why Dallas reportedly explored other options during the offseason. According to multiple reports, the Cowboys showed interest in Lloyd, Dean, and Walker before ultimately standing pat. There was no deal. But the fact that the front office investigated multiple linebackers suggests the organization believed additional help was important. Cowboys beat writer Jon Machota of The Athletic echoed that viewpoint.
But 2026 training camp will provide the first real opportunity for the Cowboys to evaluate whether their confidence in the current group is justified. Strong performances from Overshown, Winters, James, and the rest of the linebacker room could ease concerns before Week 1. If those questions remain unanswered, however, Dallas may once again explore the veteran market or monitor roster cuts around the league for additional help.