The Dallas Cowboys have made plenty of moves this offseason, but not enough to inspire confidence after back-to-back losing seasons. That said, they may have dodged a bullet by missing out on one polarizing free agent.
Quay Walker looked like a budding star with the Green Bay Packers as recently as 2024. Since then, however, his steady decline, which is reflected in his Pro Football Focus grades, has been impossible to ignore.
Zoltán Buday of PFF recently evaluated each team’s best and worst free agent signings, and he tabbed Walker as the Raiders’ worst, largely because he hasn’t proven he’s worth such a lucrative deal.
"Despite his athletic ability, Walker has yet to justify a contract of that size. He failed to rank among the top 60 linebackers in PFF overall grade in any of his four seasons, and he placed just 76th among 88 qualifying linebackers with a 46.0 PFF overall grade in 2025."
The Dallas Cowboys shouldn't lose any sleep missing out on LB Quay Walker in free agency
The Cowboys desperately need to get a linebacker, but the fact that it wasn't Walker was a blessing in disguise. Multiple reports have confirmed that Dallas made a competitive offer to Walker before he and former Georgia teammate Nakobe Dean signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Before signing, Walker’s projected market value was three years, $24.8 million, per Spotrac. The Raiders instead gave him three years, $40.5 million. That is a steep price for a player who hasn’t fully proven himself.
While the former Georgia standout posted a career-high 128 tackles last season, his struggles in coverage remain a concern, and Cowboys fans know all too well how costly poor linebacker play can be.
Kenneth Murray struggled mightily in every facet required of a starting linebacker. While Walker wasn’t quite as ineffective, Cowboys fans would still be frustrated if his production failed to match his lucrative contract. The Raiders clearly took a risk here, and Jerry Jones deserves some credit for not taking the bait.
With Shemar James and DeMarvion Overshown currently in line to start, it’s clear Jerry Jones will continue targeting linebacker help in the draft. If the Cowboys acquire additional draft capital, Texas standout Anthony Hill Jr. could be firmly in play as a sideline-to-sideline playmaker with strong in-state ties.
Either way, the Cowboys should be praised for not overpaying for a player like Walker.