When asked earlier this week about the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive struggles, Jerry Jones gave a familiar response:
“Help on the way is important. We do have two or three key players and we’ll start getting healthier at safety, which we’re really right now suffering from our depth at safety.”
The comment, meant to inspire confidence, instead highlighted a long-standing problem with Jones’ approach to roster management: his unrelenting belief that injured players returning from rehab can instantly solve deep-rooted problems.
In 2025, that philosophy has reared its head again, as Jones appears to be pinning the team’s hopes on LB DeMarvion Overshown and CB Shavon Revel to turn around what has been the league’s worst defense.
The Cowboys, now sitting at 3-4-1, are a team in disarray on the defensive side of the ball.
Under new DC Matt Eberflus, they’ve regressed in every major category; from tackling efficiency to third-down stops to turnover differential.
Yet, instead of addressing the unit’s glaring weaknesses through free agency or trades, Jones is once again banking on players fresh off the injury list to fix everything.
Fool Him Twice, Shame On Him
The latest proof of how poorly this strategy works came with the Trevon Diggs situation.
When Diggs returned from his torn ACL this offseason, Jones treated it as if the Cowboys had landed an All-Pro acquisition they didn’t already have on the roster.
The front office bypassed several veteran free agents, including Stephon Gilmore, who remains unsigned despite being a former Cowboy and still capable of steady play.
Dallas assumed Diggs’ return would restore their secondary to elite form. Instead, his comeback was short-lived.
He landed on injured reserve again, this time with what the team described as a “concussion suffered at home,” though whispers suggest the real concern lies with the same knee that ended his 2024 campaign.
Diggs’ absence, paired with Dallas’ refusal to add reliable depth, has left the cornerback room vulnerable and exposed, forcing inexperienced players into roles they’re not ready for.
Guys like Kaiir Elam, Reddy Stewart, and Trikweze Bridges are out there fighting for their lives versus top NFL talent after being on their couches a couple of months ago.
That’s the danger of Jones’ mindset: rather than prepare for setbacks, he assumes recovery equals reliability.
It’s a shortsighted approach that has repeatedly burned this franchise, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
The Cycle Repeats
Still, Jerry Jones hasn’t learned his lesson.
The owner is now pushing the narrative that DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel will be the cavalry charging in to rescue this sinking defense.
Overshown, the athletic linebacker from Texas, showed flashes of brilliance before tearing his ACL last season.
His instincts, speed, and versatility make him an exciting player, but expecting him to play at full throttle right out of the gate after such an injury is both unrealistic and risky.
Meanwhile, Revel remains a complete unknown at the NFL level.
While the Cowboys have praised his athletic traits and physical style, there’s no professional tape proving he can hold his own against top-tier competition.
Dallas may be hoping for a breakout, but “hope” isn’t a defensive strategy, and it’s certainly not enough to turn the worst defense in football into a contender overnight.
The Final Word
Jones’ constant habit of overestimating his returning players isn’t optimism; it’s negligence disguised as hope.
Every season, the Cowboys convince themselves that getting healthy is the same as getting better, ignoring that real improvement often comes from smart signings, fresh talent, and honest evaluations of the roster’s weaknesses.
As it stands, the Cowboys’ 3-4-1 record and league-worst defense are proof that this philosophy doesn’t work.
Injured players can’t be saviors. They need time, patience, and support, three things Jerry Jones seems unwilling to give.
Until he changes that mindset, “help on the way” will continue to sound more like a false promise than a solution.
The one thing you forget is mention is the fact that the reason our defense is one of the worst isn’t because of the players we have, it’s because of the scheme our defensive coordinator can’t get away from!! The zone coverage garbage Eberflus keeps running is the reason our defense is so bad!! Our players are best playing man coverage, while having a LB or safeties blitz the QB, and Eberflus is doing the exact opposite of that, and that’s why our defense is so bad!! And I think Overshown has already proven he can come back from a major injury and not lose a step!! He did the same thing the last time he was injured and if I’m not mistaken, that injury was way worse than the one he’s coming back from this time, so Jerry has the right to be confident in Overshown coming back and being a big help!! But as far as Revel goes, that’s a different story, he hasn’t played in the NFL yet, but he was a 1st round talent taken in the 3rd round, so there’s a reason to be confident in his return too!! But the good thing is that if he don’t come in and make the secondary better, then we can still go out and sign Stephon Gilmore!! And we can even go out and sign Israel Mukuamu too!! So there’s nothing to worry about with that part, because we still have options even after the trade deadline!! But if I’m being honest, I have to agree with Jerry, I think bringing those 2 players in will help a lot!! But our biggest problem is Eberflus and his garbage scheme!! So if Eberflus changes his scheme, we’ll be a lot better, especially when we get our injured players back!! But if he don’t change the scheme, it don’t matter who we bring in, or trade for, our defense will still be garbage!!
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s Jerry Jones is delusion and senile Jerry Jones still thinks the Cowboys can win a super bowl