Cowboys Still Shopping at Linebacker — And Dallas's Run Defense Props Are the Story to Watch

The Dallas Cowboys are not done at linebacker. One week after trading with San Francisco for Dee Winters — a former sixth-round pick who graduated from backup to full-time starter in 2025 after injuries thinned the 49ers' depth chart — Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones has signaled the team remains in the market for additional veteran help, whether through free agency or another trade. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer called the position group "comfortable" while simultaneously invoking the franchise's standing policy: they're "never closed for business."

On paper, the depth chart has bodies. DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James, and Justin Barron return from a 2025 unit that was a liability at the second level. Third-round rookie Jaishawn Barham — a physical presence from Maryland — is projected to work in the middle from day one. Winters, playing out the final year of his rookie deal, slots in as a starter alongside whoever wins the second spot. Schottenheimer confirmed he already has a preference for that role but declined to name names. That decision gets made over OTAs and minicamp, not in front of cameras in May.

The urgency here is real and the numbers back it up. Dallas finished 23rd against the run and dead last — 32nd — in scoring defense in 2025. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker inherits a front seven with questions at its core. The linebacker corps, even with Barham and Winters added, is still relying on players who were on the field during one of the worst defensive seasons in recent Cowboys history. With roughly $8.2 million in cap space available after the draft class is fully signed, a low-cost veteran addition is feasible and, frankly, likely before training camp opens.

For bettors, the Cowboys' linebacker situation is a live variable with direct implications for opponent rushing props and Dallas's own team defensive totals. Opposing running backs facing Dallas last season had a red-carpet path to the second level. Until Parker's scheme and Winters' role are established in preseason action, lean toward the over on rushing yards for any feature back going against the Cowboys in Week 1 matchups. The front-seven uncertainty also keeps Dallas's team total vulnerable — if they're giving up chunk runs and sustaining long drives, the Cowboys' defense won't be getting their offense back on the field quickly, suppressing Dallas's own offensive counting stats.

Watch the Winters role closely once OTA attendance becomes public. If he's lining up with the first unit alongside a freshly signed veteran, that's a signal Parker has settled on his personnel and the group could outperform its 2025 baseline. If the Cowboys are still cycling through combinations by training camp, the run-defense concerns — and the prop value against them — only compound.