The edge rusher need became elevated on Monday with news that Donovan Ezeiruaku may not be available to the team until training camp. Ezeiruaku is young and coming off of his rookie season, but it is hard not to get spooked by those kinds of things.
Each NFL team has a rookie pool based on their picks, and Over The Cap has calculated that number based on comp pick projections that will be finalized over the next week. But because of how the offseason cap is calculated, not every draft pick is going to add to the compliance calculation.
To Schottenheimer's credit, his offense did not disappoint. Quarterback Dak Prescott bounced back from a rough, injury-wrecked 2024 to shine in his age-32 season. The Cowboys struck gold on offseason acquisitions George Pickels and Javonte Williams, who emerged as essential weapons for Prescott. With holdovers CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson continuing to produce, the Cowboys stormed to the second-most yards and seventh-highest point total in the NFL.
Outside of a few folks who were blessed with the gift of prophesy, most NFL fans understand that trying to predict the future, per Peter F. Drucker, is like 'trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window.'
Cowboys players graded head coach Brian Schottenheimer as an A- head coach after his first season as the team's head coach, and honestly, that probably is not bad for what he had to deal with his first season. Nutritionist/Dietician: B+ Cowboys players gave the organization a B+ in this category for the second year in a row. They also voted the locker as a B+. The weight room was an A-, and Jerry Jones was somehow a B.
While many other teams are busy handing out massive contracts like Halloween candy, the front office in Frisco typically retreats into a shell of fiscal conservatism that only the likes of Scrooge McDuck truly appreciates. As a division rival inks a big-name player, Cowboys supporters are left refreshing their feeds only for news of them signing a backup long snapper.
The move is hardly surprising for Ezeiruaku, as the outside linebackers in a 3-4 defense are typically going to be more oriented towards edge rushing. For example, last year the Eagles listed Jaelan Phillips, Nolan Smith, and Jalyx Hunt as outside linebackers even though they did effectively the same thing that Cowboys defensive ends Jadeveon Clowney, James Houston, and Ezeiruaku himself did in 2025.
Christian Parker isn't installing a static defense. The Cowboys are shifting toward a multiple-front system with 3-4 principles layered in. That means linebackers must think, adjust, and operate in space. Under Parker, Dallas linebackers need to cover running backs and tight ends, handle disguised fronts and late movement, maintain gap discipline, tackle efficiently in space, and process quickly without freelancing.
Out of 32 picks: Not one of the draft experts cracked 20 percent. I don't see this as a failure, that is just the nature of the beast. One grade can shift multiple picks and wreck slot projections. Jeremiah led here, but the margin was two picks.
Jordan has been one of the hottest names in the personal coaching world for the past decade-plus. He founded Trench Performance, a private company specializing in training defensive linemen. Through Trench Performance, Jordan has worked with a long list of current NFL players that includes Micah Parsons, Maxx Crosby, Von Miller, Myles Garrett, Abdul Carter, Nolan Smith, and Danielle Hunter.
For those unaware, Aubrey is a free agent, but he is a restricted free agent. Should the Cowboys not have a deal in place with him before free agency begins then they can place a tender on him relative to a first- or second-round pick. In that hypothetical a team could negotiate a deal with Aubrey, but the Cowboys would have the right of first refusal. If Dallas declined to match the offer then the team who made it to Aubrey would owe the Cowboys their draft pick according to the tender.
Needless to say, it was quite a long time ago, and yet that draft night debate of Zeke vs. Jalen Ramsey feels like yesterday. Elliott is only 30 years old, but barring a pretty shocking comeback, his career is all but over in the NFL. Nine years in the league, eight in Dallas, and over 9,100 rushing yards; that's quite the run, even if we all expected him to last longer.
