LB Justin Barron is going from bubble to roster lock

If you guys missed it, Justin Barron is a linebacker for the Cowboys who is probably battling for the last LB spot on the roster, and yes, the joint practice with the Rams was just that, practice, but man did you see how well he did?

Justin Barron was a UDFA from Syracuse in 2025, and a guy that many thought, because of the lack of depth at linebacker, might have to be a guy they depend on this season.

Yet after a trade for Dee Winters and DeMarvion Overshown returned to health, Barron started to get buried once again.

Don’t Look Now

Look, before any of you start jumping my case about it being practice. Yes, I understand that, but he had three interceptions. One of them came against the Rams first team offense and the MVP of the league last year, Matt Stafford.

HIGHLIGHT

Justin Barron picks off Matthew Staffordpic.twitter.com/DbNMRJRZdB

— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) August 11, 2026

Like I said a few days ago, that joint practice was more important than you think, not only for guys like Barron, but also for the starters who aren’t going to see a lick of preseason action.

At the moment, Barron is considered a third-string inside linebacker on the depth chart. He has to compete with Shemar James, Curtis Robinson, and Langston Patterson for the final spot or two on the roster.

Now look, I don’t think, unless a major injury happens, he is going to jump into the starting lineup or even get real snaps when they matter.

Barron will also have to focus in camp on playing well on special teams. He needs to be a gunner on kickoff coverage and be one of the elite players at the position.

If he does what he did against the Rams for all three preseason games because all the depth guys are going to get all the snaps, then we can have a conversation about him actually getting live snaps.

If he does and Christian Parker throws him out there week one against the New York Giants and he wets the bed, the worst that happens is you put him back on special teams and then move on, it legit cannot be any worse than that.

I still think Dallas should go call a guy like Bobby Okereke. He is still a free agent, and maybe for good reason but adding a guy In 2025 alone that 143 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and a sack, why not.

He is better than Kenneth Murray and that is a fact. Adding a starter for depth is not a bad idea. I am still worried that Overshown is still a little bit too small, and might try and overdose it to make up for his lack of size and strength, and when I say too small, take a look at the video below, he gets blown up and cannot get through the block.

Downs and Overshown got rocked in the hole by Tyler Smith and Spann-Ford… pic.twitter.com/vUmfI3clMv

— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) August 7, 2026

Either way, maybe Barron is truly a baller and continues to look this good and goes from bubble to starter? Wishful thinking, I know, but it was good to see if he put on the show he did against the Rams in joint practice and do it against the Rams starting offense, not just the backups.

I am liking what I am seeing thus far compared to what they showed last season in the joint practice and everyone talked about how awful they were, and they truly were, but now that they have a good showing, it is only practice. You guys can’t have it both ways, and it always happens with this fan base.

I have said time and time again it won’t matter until it counts, but this is a great sign to see compared to what we were getting a year ago.