Dallas, TX
Cowboys linebackers roster review: Lots to sort out after 2023’s challenges
The linebacker position arguably faced the most adversity of any spot on the Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 roster. That means some big questions to answer going forward, with some players’ returns not guaranteed and a new defensive coordinator potentially bringing new philosophies to the group.
The trouble began in the preseason when rookie DeMarvion Overshown was lost for the year with an ACL injury. The third-round pick had been one of the stars of training camp and was already being considered for a key part in the LB rotation, particularly on passing downs. That move led to Markquese Bell’s transition from safety to linebacker, where he picked up the snaps that would’ve likely belonged to Overshown.
Bell performed admirably given the field promotion, being undersized for LB work but having that mitigated by playing in the nickel. But then, after just five games, Leighton Vander Esch was lost to a neck injury. Now Dallas’ top linebacker was out, leaving Bell and Damone Clark as the next men up with neither possessing Vander Esch’s experience or size.
The Cowboys’ smallish defense, Clark and Bell included, was able to do plenty of good work in 2023. But their weakness against the run was a key issue in late-season losses and the blowout elimination by the Packers. The group would need work even if Dan Quinn had stayed, but now Mike Zimmer’s arrival could mean even bigger changes.
LBs Under Contract for 2024
- Leighton Vander Esch – $4.40m cap hit
- Damone Clark – $1.05m cap hit
- Markquese Bell (S) – $990k cap hit
- DeMarvion Overshown – $1.23m cap hit
- Buddy Johnson – $915k cap hit
One note; we didn’t include Micah Parsons here but rather in our review of the defensive ends. The rare dropback doesn’t make Parsons a true linebacker on this team; his dominant usage is as a pass-rushing edge so it made more sense to look at him in that context. So while technically a LB on the Cowboys roster, like Bell still technically being listed at safety, we’re focusing on where guys spend the majority of their playing time.
Who’s Buddy Johnson, you may be wondering? A fourth-round pick in 2021 by Pittsburgh, Johnson has bounced around practice squads for three years and landed with the Cowboys last October. He’s nothing more than a camp body at the moment.
While Dallas looks forward to getting Overshown back and hopefully regaining his previous momentum, the future is murky for Vander Esch. While he’d be a bargain at just a $4.4 million cap hit, Vander Esch’s chronic neck issues call his reliability and even his career into question. At the time he went on IR last October, some speculated that he might retire rather than risk more severe consequences.
Even if Vander Esch wants to keep playing the Cowboys may not want to facilitate it. They can release him at about $2.15 million in cap relief, which they would also get if he decides to retire. Right now, our bet is that Vander Esch isn’t coming back either by his own choice or by the team’s.
Even if he did return, Dallas would still be in trouble with both Vander Esch and Overshown coming off major injuries. And if Mike Zimmer isn’t down with Dan Quinn’s approach of using safeties as linebackers, that could mean losing Bell and Jayron Kearse (if he’s even re-signed) from the snap counts. That would mean a thin LB group with two of your top three holding significant red flags.
All this sets up a clear priority for the Cowboys this offseason. Replacing Vander Esch is an obvious need if he’s gone, and ensuring against injury if he stays would be nearly as crucial. Dallas needs at least one more run-stopper in the group in either scenario.
There should be options in free agency. Big-name veterans like Bobby Wagner and Lavonte David are on expiring deals, and though older both are still productive and would bring leadership to the group. A run-focused LB like Tenneesee’s Azeez Al-Shaair or Minnesota’s Jordan Hicks could make sense, being more of an early-down guy who rotates out with Clark and Overshown in nickel.
While the draft is another option, losing Vander Esch would likely push Dallas more toward free agency for a proven guy ready to contribute now. Maybe they have more faith in Damone Clark to lead the pack than we know, but that seems risky for a team with the Cowboys’ aspirations and supposed “all-in” approach to 2024.
Again, we still have to see what’s going to happen with Leighton Vander Esch to really grasp the picture at linebacker. But his staying or leaving doesn’t change the need for attention this offseason. Last year showed the group was not ready to suffer his loss, especially in run defense, and the Cowboys can’t keep letting this weakness linger.
Dallas, TX
Hip-hop hitmaker Cardi B coming to AAC in Dallas
Cardi B, one of hip-hop’s most outsize personalities — and one of its most reliable hitmakers — is coming to Dallas.
The New York City-born rapper broke through in 2017 with the hit single “Bodak Yellow,” launching a chart-topping run that soon included “I Like It” and the blockbuster hit “WAP.” Her Grammy-winning debut album, Invasion of Privacy, cemented her as a defining voice in contemporary rap, blending brash humor, confessional storytelling and club-ready production.
The 33-year-old’s success helped boost the profile of women in a genre long dominated by men, encouraging record labels to sign more female rappers. She has frequently teamed up with rising female artists, including GloRilla, FendiDa Rappa and “WAP” collaborator Megan Thee Stallion.
Cardi’s stop at American Airlines Center is part of the arena run supporting her second studio album, 2025’s Am I the Drama? Recent shows in the “Little Miss Drama Tour” have leaned into spectacle, with elaborate staging, surprise guest appearances and a set list that spans her entire career.
Fans can expect a high-energy performance built around booming trap beats, pop hooks and Cardi’s signature unfiltered banter — the same mix that has helped her sell out dates across the tour and turn concerts into party-like events.
DETAILS: March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Tickets start at $334.10, but some verified resale tickets are cheaper. ticketmaster.com.
Pop legend Diana Ross performs March 7 at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
Sarah Hepola
OTHER CONCERTS
Bluesy psychedelic rock band All Them Witches performs March 7 at House of Blues Dallas.
Travis Pinson
ALL THEM WITCHES March 7 at 8 p.m. at House of Blues Dallas. ticketmaster.com.
DIANA ROSS March 7 at 8 p.m. at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla. winstar.com.
RICH BRIAN March 7 at 8 p.m. at The Bomb Factory in Deep Ellum. axs.com.
TRACE ADKINS March 7 at 10 p.m. at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth. billybobstexas.com.
AFROJACK March 8 at 3 p.m. at It’ll Do Club in Deep Ellum. eventbrite.com.
LITHE March 8 at 8 p.m. at House of Blues Dallas. ticketmaster.com.
CONAN GRAY March 10 at 8 p.m. at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. ticketmaster.com.
MATISYAHU March 10 at 8 p.m. at the Granada Theater in Dallas. prekindle.com.
OUR LADY PEACE, WITH THE VERVE PIPE March 12 at 8 p.m. at Tannahill’s Tavern and Music Hall in Fort Worth. ticketmaster.com.
PAUL WALL March 12 at 9 p.m. and March 13 at 10 p.m. at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth. billybobstexas.com.
Dallas, TX
GOP candidates for Texas House face off in Collin County, Park Cities, North Dallas
The fiercest legislative primary fights Tuesday in North Texas were inside the GOP.
In Dallas County, two moderate GOP incumbent representatives faced challengers after being censured by their own county party.
In Collin County, several Republican state House members were fending off rivals running to their right.
The Dallas Morning News will provide live election results this evening when the polls close at 7 p.m. Results will be updated throughout the evening for statewide races and Dallas, Collin, Denton, Ellis, Kaufman, Rockwall and Tarrant counties.
Dallas County, House District 108
Republican Morgan Meyer, first elected in 2014, was challenged by attorney Sanjay Narayan in a district that includes the Park Cities, Oak Lawn and Preston Hollow.
Narayan criticized Meyer for backing renewable energy expansion and for being censured by the Dallas GOP last year.
Meyer was among House Republicans targeted after disputes over the House speaker vote and chamber rules. He and other lawmakers called the censure effort unconstitutional.
In the campaign, Meyer focused on property tax relief and emergency preparedness after the Camp Mystic tragedy.
Small business owner Allison Mitchell is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Dallas County, House District 112
Republican Angie Chen Button, who has represented the district covering parts of Dallas, Richardson and Garland since 2009, drew three primary opponents.
Button has highlighted her support for small businesses and public schools and her bipartisan record. A senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, she would play a key role in the state’s property tax debate if reelected.
Dallas-area delegation in the Texas House of Representatives on Sunday, May 30, 2021, showing State Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Garland, in the chamber.
Bob Daemmrich / Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto
Opponents Chad Carnahan and Tina Price attacked Button for being censured by the Dallas GOP last year, a move she and other lawmakers have criticized as an internal party power struggle.
Carnahan, a businessman, said he wants to lower property taxes and prevent Shariah in Texas.
Price said she would improve public schools and spur the re-use of old buildings. Also in the GOP race: Perry E. Barker Sr.
Democrat Zach Herbert was unopposed.
Collin County, House District 61
Two Republicans are seeking to represent the district that covers most of McKinney and parts of Frisco and Celina.
Incumbent Keresa Richardson, who was elected in 2024, and former state Rep. Frederick Frazier both support eliminating property taxes.
Richardson, an entrepreneur, said she would expand the Texas voucher-like program for education.
Frazier, a former police officer and McKinney City Council member, was more cautious about expanding the program.

Frederick Frazier speaks as Rep. Keresa Richardson looks on during a candidate forum for Republicans in Collin County ahead of the March primary election at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
Anja Schlein / Special Contributor
Two political newcomers, Jackie Bescherer and Brittany Black, are running in the Democratic primary. Both oppose Texas’ voucher program and vow to increase public education funding.
Collin County, House District 67
Republican Rep. Jeff Leach, first elected in 2012, faces Matt Thorsen in a district that includes parts of Plano, Allen, McKinney and Melissa.
Leach has highlighted his conservative record, including legislation barring Shariah in Texas courts. He also served as a House impeachment manager during Attorney General Ken Paxton’s 2023 trial, a role he has defended amid backlash from activists.
Thorsen, a small business owner and former youth pastor, helped lead the effort to censure Leach last year. He has criticized Leach’s impeachment role and accused him of siding with Democrats on House rules.
Both support eliminating property taxes, expanding education savings accounts and oppose the development formerly known as EPIC City. Two Democrats are also running, though the district has leaned Republican.
Collin County, House District 70
Three Republicans are competing for the nomination to run against incumbent Democrat Mihaela Plesa, who is running unopposed in her party’s primary.
Democrat Mihaela Plesa responds to questions during a District 70 Candidate Forum hosted by Raise Your Hand Texas at Plano ISD Academy High School in Plano on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022.
Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer
George Flint, a former district judge and Collin County Republican Party Chair, emphasized eliminating property taxes and securing the border in his campaign.
Jack Ryan Gallagher, an attorney, said he would attract companies to North Texas, improve public schools and partner with local law enforcement if elected.
Michael Hewitt, an attorney, said he would gradually lower property taxes and work to keep Texas a business-friendly state.
The district includes parts of Plano, Richardson and Far North Dallas.
Dallas, TX
Dallas Fed says ‘older, experienced workers’ likely have less cause for concern about AI job displacement
Artificial intelligence hasn’t yet triggered the broad job losses many feared — at least not for experienced workers.
That’s the takeaway from a new analysis by J. Scott Davis, an assistant vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, who examined employment and wage trends in industries most exposed to artificial intelligence.
Davis argues the data tell a more nuanced story — one that’s challenging the traditional career ladder, and helping older employees earn a bit more.
Since ChatGPT’s debut in late 2022, overall US employment has risen about 2.5%, according to Davis’ analysis, which uses an AI exposure index developed by researchers and published in the Strategic Management Journal. At the same time, employment in the sectors most exposed to AI has slipped by roughly 1%.
Wages tell a different story. The average weekly pay nationwide has climbed 7.5% since fall 2022. And across the most AI-exposed industries, wages have grown faster, up 8.5%.
If AI were simply replacing workers, both employment and wages would likely be falling, Davis wrote.
Instead, Davis points to a divide between “codified” knowledge — the kind learned from textbooks and in university courses — and “tacit” knowledge gained from hands-on work experience.
“Returns on job experience are increasing in AI-exposed occupations,” Davis wrote. “Young workers with primarily codifiable knowledge and limited experience will likely face challenging job markets.”
Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, his analysis found that the occupations most exposed to AI tend to offer larger pay premiums for experienced workers.
In roles with less hands-on experience, AI exposure is associated with weaker wage growth, he wrote.
Workers under 25 in AI-exposed industries have also experienced employment declines, according to Davis’ analysis.
“There appears to be less cause for concern about widespread job displacement for older, experienced workers,” he wrote.
A less dire picture… so far
The findings offer a counterpoint to the more apocalyptic predictions about AI’s impact on the labor market.
Last week, Citrini Research published a memo, written from the hypothetical perspective in 2028, that theorized how AI could crush the US jobs market and trigger a broad-based market collapse.
“What if our AI bullishness continues to be right…and what if that’s actually bearish?” the memo asked.
Top executives inside the AI companies are worried about jobs, too.
Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, the company that runs Claude, warned that AI could eliminate 50% of entry-level office jobs. OpenAI’s head of product, Olivier Godement, said the life sciences, customer service, and computer engineering industries were all about to get automated. And Boris Cherny, the creator of Claude Code, said that he doesn’t believe the job title “software engineer” will exist next year.
For now, at least, the Dallas Fed paints a different picture of today’s jobs market. It points to less mass displacement and market ruptures — and more power for employees who already have their foot in the door.
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