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.
(Editor’s Note: As part of the preparation for training camp, this series will introduce 25 players who are new to the Cowboys’ roster, rookies and veterans alike. We’ll continue with outside linebacker Tyrus Wheat.)
The 2026 season will mark a homecoming for Wheat, who is now back in Dallas for his second stint with the Cowboys. As an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, Wheat signed with the Cowboys in 2023 on the practice squad before quickly being signed to the active roster a few months afterwards.
In his rookie season, Wheat saw a majority of his snaps come on special teams with 197, and only 31 snaps on defense. That would flip in his second season, with 165 snaps on defense and 46 on special teams. Through two years, Wheat played in 20 games and tallied 18 tackles and half a sack before spending a year with the Lions in 2025.
As is true across all levels of football, you can never have enough pass rushers. Wheat gives the Cowboys another pass rusher, who has the added ability to be able to help out on special teams as well as a blocker on kickoffs.
As for how much he’ll be in the defensive rotation, that’ll have to be something he earns in training camp. The Cowboys have some younger pass rushers ahead of him now like Donovan Ezeiruaku and first-round pick Malachi Lawrence, so there’ll need to be some proving done. That said, Wheat is also coming off his best year yet with the Lions. Will it be enough to find a role in the pass rush rotation? Oxnard will give us a good idea of that.
- Wheat played a vital special teams role for the Lions last season, tallying 11 special teams tackles which was the third-most for Detroit in 2025. He played a career-high 215 special teams snaps in order to get to that point.
- Wheat’s one and only season away from the Cowboys thus far in his career saw him play in 15 games for the Lions, where he also tallied a career-high 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks despite only playing 66 defensive snaps.
- After wearing 91 in his first stint with Dallas, Wheat returns to the Cowboys wearing 90 now, which was last worn by defensive tackle Solomon Thomas.
Detroit Pistons introduce second-round pick Ugonna Onyenso
Detroit Pistons rookie second-round pick Ugonna Onyenso is introduced to members of the media July 6, 2026.
The Detroit Pistons have traded a third player this summer.
The Pistons agreed to deal 25-year-old combo guard Marcus Sasser to the Dallas Mavericks, coached by ex-Michigan coach Dusty May, on Tuesday, July 7, according to ESPN. The Pistons are also sending a protected 2028 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers.
This comes as part of a complex six-team trade that includes the Pistons dealing Caris LeVert in a salary-saving move to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday evening. The six-team trade also involves the previously reported moves of the Pistons trading Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Pistons’ acquisition of John Collins from the Clippers.
The Pistons generate a trade exception worth $15 million in the trade-palooza, a person with first-hand knowledge told the Free Press, granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly. The trade exception is worth the same amount as Stewart’s outgoing salary for 2026-27 and allows the Pistons to take in salary up to $15 million without having to send any back. It expires in exactly one year.
Sasser joins a Mavs backcourt where Kyrie Irving is the starting lead guard, and could compete with second-year undrafted guard Ryan Nembhard for the backup role.
Sasser, who the Pistons traded up to draft 25th overall out of Houston in 2023 under previous general manager Troy Weaver, averaged 5.2 points and shot 41.5% from 3. He is on an expiring contract worth $5.2 million from his four-year, $13.5 million rookie deal.
When called upon, Sasser proved he can play. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder was one of the team’s best shooters, but only appeared in 38 games last season due to injury and the Pistons’ depth at guard.
Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon indicated a desire to add more ball-handling and shooting this offseason, after a 60-22 season ended in Game 7 of the second round.
Sasser’s path to minutes wasn’t going to get easier following the addition of first-round pick Ebuka Okorie, a 19-year-old from Stanford, whom the Pistons traded up four spots to draft No. 17 overall.
Then, Langdon traded for one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters in guard Isaiah Joe in a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Sasser, who was out of the playoff rotation until Game 5 of the second round, sparked the Pistons in Game 6 at Cleveland, pouring in nine points on 4-for-5 shooting in 18 minutes in a win-or-go-home setting. He played 23 minutes in Game 7, scoring nine points on 3-for-12 shooting in a 125-94 blowout loss to the Cavaliers at home.
Pistons roster moves this offseason
The Pistons have turned over much of the roster this summer through the draft and NBA free agency.
Here’s who they’ve added and who they’ve lost:
Lost
- Traded Marcus Sasser (Mavericks)
- Traded Caris LeVert (Bucks)
- Traded Isaiah Stewart (Grizzlies)
- Tobias Harris (Spurs)
Added
- Drafted Ebuka Okorie (No. 17)
- Drafted Ugonna Onyenso (No. 53, two-way contract)
- Acquired Isaiah Joe (Thunder)
- Acquired John Collins (Clippers)
- Acquired Taurean Prince (Bucks)
- Acquired Gary Harris (Bucks)
The Pistons also re-signed bench wings Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green.
Pistons depth chart
The Pistons have 16 players on their 15-man roster, plus two of three two-way slots filled. Here’s where their depth chart currently stands as of Wednesday morning:
*Jalen Duren remains unsigned as a restricted free agent.
- PG: Cade Cunningham, Daniss Jenkins, Ebuka Okorie.
- SG: Duncan Robinson, Isaiah Joe, Javonte Green, Chaz Lanier, Gary Harris.
- SF: Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, Kevin Huerter, Taurean Prince.
- PF: John Collins, Isaac Jones (two-way).
- C: *Jalen Duren, Paul Reed, Tolu Smith, Ugonna Onyenso (two-way).
[ MUST WATCH: Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live on YouTube. ]
Dusty May on leaving Michigan for the Dallas Mavericks
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May sat down with FOX 4’s Mike Doocy to discuss why he left the University of Michigan for an NBA job, how his wife and family have supported his journey, his expectations for transforming the Mavs into a championship contender, and more.
DALLAS – North Texans are eager to learn all about the Dallas Mavericks’ new head coach, Dusty May, and his plan for the team.
Dallas Mavs Coach Dusty May
What we know:
May is fresh off a national title win with the Michigan Wolverines.
In his two season in Ann Arbor, May guided the Wolverines to a 64-13 record.
In his prior stint as the head coach at Florida Atlantic University, May guided the Owls to a Final Four in 2023 and multiple NCAA tournament berths.
May comes in as the replacement for Jason Kidd, who the Mavericks parted ways with in late May.
He’s the first big hire under Masai Ujiri, who was hired as the team’s new President of Basketball Operations in early May.
This will be May’s first stint as an NBA head coach.
What they’re saying:
In an interview with Mike Doocy, the 49-year-old coach said he thinks the Mavericks could become real championship contenders sooner rather than later.
He highlighted Kyrie Irving’s return, the potential of Max Christie, and, of course, the skills of star rookie Cooper Flag.
“I think it’s just his mindset, his tenacity, his ability to play every single position at a high level and play both sides of the ball. The fact that he’s always won. He hasn’t always been on the most talented teams, so he’s a competitor that’s up for the challenge. I could literally go on all day about the positive attributes that Cooper has,” he said.
In terms of adjusting from college basketball to the NBA, May said he’s excited about the coaching staff he’s putting together.
He plans to rely on the veterans on the team and in the office as he starts his professional basketball career.
The Source: Information in this article comes from an interview with Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May.
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