Is Dee Winters the answer at LB for the Dallas Cowboys?

Well, the Dallas Cowboys fans, we got what we asked for during draft week, it just did not happen the way we thought it would.

Remember the Cowboys made a move for a starting linebacker, something that this team had a major need for.

They traded some picks to the 49ers for Dee Winters, who started 17 games a year ago for them.

The Answer?

As of right now and this season, Winters is the solution and, in my own opinion, I think he is better for this season than what they could have gotten in the draft outside of Sonny Styles.

Styles is the only linebacker in this class that could have stepped in tomorrow and been better. I say that because Styles is the only TRUE linebacker in this draft.

Winters started 27 games for the 49ers across the last two seasons, including all 17 games in 2025.

He totaled career-highs in tackles (101), interceptions (one, a pick-six of Philip Rivers), passes defensed (five) and tackles for loss (eight) in 2025. Winters’ 101 tackles led San Francisco after he started all 17 games.

Read that again, he led the 49ers a season ago in tackles, nearly 30 more than Kenneth Murray who was the green dot and starting guy for Dallas a year ago. He is better than Murray. I know that is not hard to do, but he is.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/2003616618434437214?s=20

Something that is important to note also is that trading for him is a low risk, high reward.

It’s a fifth-round pick for a player entering the final year of his rookie deal, with a cap hit of just $3.71 million. That is great work by Jerry Jones and the front office for once.

I think Winters is the best thing they could have done after not landing Styles or trading a higher pick for someone else.

The Cowboys had only three off-ball linebackers, DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James and Justin Barron before adding Winters.

He’s an immediate upgrade to Shemar James and Justin Barron on the depth chart. Perfectly good use of a 5th.

The Cowboys’ third-round pick, Jaishawn Barham, has experience as an edge rusher at Michigan, but Schottenheimer said he will begin his work at inside linebacker, so that adds another guy to the list.

So, as I said, Winters is at least the answer this year, and if he plays well and performs above expectations he is only 25, they could probably resign him to a team-friendly deal and maybe have a starting linebacker for the next two to three years.

Either way, the Cowboys made 5 picks on defense in the draft and traded for Dee. They did an outstanding job last week, and I am giving credit where it is due.

Now they need to worry about trying to get George Pickens to somehow get in the building and sign that tender tag and play this season because they need him.

It was said that he was going to sign him, but now he has not and the last thing this team needs this summer is necessary drama, and that is exactly what they are getting.

This offseason has been better than most, but right now this is going on.

No chance this defense could be worse than a year ago, and if they can hold teams under 30 points a game this year, they should win at least 10 or 11. They won seven a year ago with the worst defense and a high-powered offense, and they needed to score an average of 33.5 points a game to win, that is horrible.

“He has no leverage. The Cowboys do not need George Pickens…He’s a luxury… We just gotta fix our defense, because we’re gonna put up 27 points a game with or without you.”@Chris_Broussard thinks it’s nothing that Pickens hasn’t signed the franchise tag yet: pic.twitter.com/56YGdesdgt

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) April 28, 2026

A lot to like this offseason thus far. Let’s just see how this GP stuff ends, but things are looking a lot better than they did a year ago at this same point, so for now I am okay with all the moves.