We have made it, the preseason is over and the Dallas Cowboys turned in their final-53 man roster yesterday, and as I was looking on Twitter for some good nuggets, I found the point of this post.
After the Bears cut Jack Sanborn, the Cowboys’ starting linebackers from last year are free agents, and that moves the count to 17 total, because two of them are starting the year on the PUP list.
It was reported by Nick Hairrs, who covers the Dallas Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Check out the tweet below.
17 of the 26 players on the initial 53-man roster last year are not on 53-man rosters right now.
15 are unemployed, 2 are starting the season on PUP (Parsons, Liufau).
Night & Day Difference
Just think about this for a moment. The Dallas Cowboys defense last year had 15 players on it who do not currently have a job in the league right now as the new year is about to start.
Matt Eberflus no longer calls plays for a defense, but rather was hired as the assistant head coach of defense for the San Francisco 49ers. I mean, he took that job because, after getting fired in back-to-back years from the Bears as the head coach and the Cowboys DC, nobody was letting him step in and call plays again.
He had one solid year with the Colts years ago, and that was it. Let me start with the starting linebackers from a year ago.
Marist Liufau was moved to edge rusher, and he is starting the year on the PUP list. Jack Sanborn got cut by the Bears yesterday. Kenneth Murray has been a free agent since the Cowboys cut him back in March.
Then you move to the horrific defensive line. Mazi Smith was traded to the Jets, he was cut this weekend by them, Dallas cut Jay Toia yesterday and Perrion Winfrey was cut back in March, and then was cut by the UFL.
Just look at those names, guys, I truly cannot believe how bad the Cowboys 2025 defense was, and yes, they were the worst in football, but when you compare the two depth charts from then and now, it is night and day different.
Micah Parsons is with the Packers and starting the year on the PUP, Sam Williams was cut yesterday.
This season, the Cowboys are going into the year with DeMarvion Overshown, Dee Winters, Jaishawn Barham, Shemar James at linebacker.
Cowboys will be better
Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otito Ogbonnia, LT Overton, Jonathan Bullard at defensive tackle, what a turnaround from a season ago, these are guys in 2026 that people know, not depth guys that are starting for a team being asked to become something.
I really like the offseason this team has had for the first time maybe in my life, this defense clearly got better and the team as a whole got better with hiring Christian Parker.
The Edge rushers should be okay with adding Von Miller as a change of pace type guy, but the cornerback room is the biggest worry that I have and should be at the top of the list for everyone.
They ended up keeping DaRon Bland, Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel, Ameer Speed, Caelen Carson. I would fully expect them to look at the wire or even add a vet that might not be on a team right now or hasn’t been cut.
They just need to add a body or two to this group, because although the defense is much improved, the cornerbacks are going to be a huge target this year. The safety group with Caleb Downs is going to help, but teams are going to attack these guys like crazy.
Overall, the improvement from the initial 53-man roster is so much better than a year ago, but talk is cheap, this team has to win football games.
Was this helpful?
1 Comment