Dallas, TX
4 New Dallas Cowboys Players Who Could Make or Break the 2026 Season
This offseason, the Dallas Cowboys were more active in free agency than they have been in recent years. Knowing they needed to improve their defense, they added multiple players who fit new defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s vision.
The additions continued during the 2026 NFL draft. Not only did the Cowboys select safety Caleb Downs and EDGE Machai Lawrence in Round 1, but they also used five of their seven picks on defenders while adding another defender, Dee Winters, in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.
With the new season quickly approaching, the Cowboys will be relying heavily on Parker and the revamped defense to get them back into the playoff picture. That said, these four players will be the ones to make or break their 2026 campaign.
Dee Winters, LB
The linebacker position was one of the weakest on the roster last season for Dallas, which is why they swung a trade for Dee Winters. He’s slated to be the starting inside linebacker next to DeMarvion Overshown, who recently said the league hasn’t seen him at his best yet.
Overshown has been a difference-maker, but his durability is concerning. That’s why Winters is such an important addition. He’s been far more durable than Overshown and is coming off his best season with 101 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and one interception. Dallas will look to Overshown and even rookie Jaishawn Barham for splash plays, but Winters is the steadying force they need.
Cobie Durant, CB
Cowboys On SI writer Mike Moraitis named the addition of Cobie Durant the “most underappreciated move” the Cowboys made this offseason and his assessment is spot-on. Durant is coming off a strong season that saw him record 40 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions. He brings much-needed coverage skill to the secondary, earning a 67.4 from PFF, which was 38th out of 114 qualified cornerbacks.
Durant continued to excel in the postseason, recording three more interceptions and breaking up another seven passes in three games. He’s overly confident and even with DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel on the roster, Durant will be on the field often this season and will help determine the trajectory of their defense.
Rashan Gary, EDGE
Fans had their hearts set on a big-name such as Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson, but the Cowboys ended up with Rashan Gary. While he’s never recorded more than 9.5 sacks in a single season, Gary is still a capable pass-rusher who excels in run defense.
More importantly, he’s someone Christian Parker believes can set the edge in Dallas. They don’t need him to be Crosby, but if Gary can serve as a veteran leader who records at least seven or eight sacks in 2026, he will be a great help for this rebuilt defense.
Caleb Downs, DB
There might not be another rookie facing as much pressure to perform in 2026 than Caleb Downs. While others will be expected to eventually become the face of their franchise, Downs will be asked to lead a complete defensive makeover from the minute he steps on the field.
Not every rookie can live up to those expectations, but Downs is ready for the challenge and is already winning over teammates with his approach. He’s likely to spend most of his time in the slot, but beyond that, Downs will be one of the key communicators who helps the Cowboys secondary get on, and stay on the same page.
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Dallas, TX
Preston Hollow residents oppose proposed $800 million mixed-use development in Dallas, survey reveals
It’s called a blue card survey. But some residents in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas believe it could be their ace in the hole and their fight against the proposed development.
The 2019 tornado left a trail of destruction in North Dallas, including Victor Toledo’s home. He said been able to rebuild along with others in his neighborhood.
But he says one area is still an eyesore.
“It’s become a very desirable neighborhood, other than that one corner, that one corner is still stuck six years ago with the old office buildings,” said Toledo.
That “one corner” he’s referring to is the southwest side of Preston Road in Royal Lane.
It’s where developers want to build an $800 million 19-story resort hotel, apartment building, and mixed-use development.
There are signs all around Preston Hollow opposing the project.
A recently completed survey of residences within 500 yards of it reveals just how strong the opposition is.
City of Dallas survey:
- 258 opposed
- 7 in favor
- 18 no response
Margaret Chabris hopes the city’s planning and zoning commission, which meets again on Aug. 6, will take the results of the survey seriously.
“It does have an impact because this is what the city wanted to know, and this is the chance that residents and property owners right here can voice their opinion; it should have a considerable impact.”
But some residents, like Toledo, believe the benefits of the development outweigh concerns about traffic and construction.
“It’ll be great for the neighborhood to have that kind of amenity,” Toledo said. “To have hotel options, new restaurants. Now it’s a vacant old building that wasn’t being used much.”
Klyde Warren Park, a top attraction in Dallas for more than a decade, is growing. Park and city leaders revealed details about the project on Monday morning, which will expand the park to 7.1 acres.
The park, which opened in 2012, connects Uptown Dallas with the Arts District over a recessed portion of Woodall Rodgers Freeway. The construction will span west to cover the remaining portion of the freeway, totaling 1.7 acres of new park space, according to the plans released Monday.
It will feature the Jacobs Lawn, a 37,000-square-foot green space that can be used for all types of community gatherings, performances and markets. In the winter, the lawn will feature an ice rink. Next to the lawn, the Overlook will give visitors a view of the highway traffic below them.
The expansion will also include a two-story pavilion with 24,000 square feet of climate-controlled event space, plus a rooftop terrace.
“This expansion isn’t simply about adding acreage. It’s an investment in Dallas, an investment in the community and an investment in future generations,” Klyde Warren Park chairman Jody Grant said in a statement.
“The expansion of this Park is exactly the kind of transformative investment we must continue to make throughout Dallas’s urban core. It will add new green space for residents to enjoy while driving continued economic growth, connecting our communities, and enhancing the quality of life that makes Dallas a destination for families, businesses, and visitors from around the world,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a statement.
Construction firm Archer Western won a competitive bid to work on the project, the same firm that built the first phase of the park.
Construction will begin by the end of the year, and is expected to take two years to complete.
FRISCO, Texas — After 12 seasons in the NFL and the last eight with the Dallas Cowboys, defensive back CJ Goodwin has announced his retirement.
Goodwin, 36, has played in 108 games for the Cowboys since he joined the team in 2018. He was the second longest-tenured Cowboy on the roster behind only Dak Prescott, who preceded Goodwin by two seasons.
Since 2019, Goodwin has been one of Dallas’ key players on special teams, recording 69 tackles with the Cowboys [ninth in Cowboys history] and 87 in his NFL career. In 2021, Goodwin became the first player in franchise history to lead the team in special teams tackles for three consecutive seasons.
After going undrafted in 2014, Goodwin received a tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers after Steelers Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount, whose son attended high school with Goodwin and who Goodwin had worked for as a farm hand, urged the team to give him an opportunity. Pittsburgh would sign him as an undrafted free agent afterwards.
Following time with the Steelers, Falcons, Cardinals, Giants, 49ers and Bengals, the Cowboys signed Goodwin off of Cincinnati’s practice squad in October of 2018.
In his eight seasons with Dallas, Goodwin notched 2,211 snaps on special teams. He worked primarily as a gunner on punt coverage and was one of Dallas’ most impactful defenders on kickoff coverage during his career with the team.
Goodwin was named one of the Cowboys’ six captains in 2025, and the second captain on special teams alongside Brandon Aubrey. He finished the year with 18 special teams tackles.
In 2026, the Cowboys will now have to look to fill Goodwin’s shoes on special teams. Some of their offseason signings, like safety P.J. Locke, have a strong history as defenders on special teams and could end up being crucial for special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen in his second season in Dallas.
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