The question all Dallas Cowboys fans are asking after the NFL Draft is if the team is done adding at linebacker. That may sound greedy given that Dallas' draft was a home run, but it's impossible to overstate how awful the defense was last season, and poor linebacker play was a big reason why.
To the Cowboys' credit, they made it a point to address the position on Day 2, trading for vet Dee Winters, who started 17 games for the San Francisco 49ers last season, and drafting Michigan's Jaishawn Barham.
It's unclear if Barham will start right away, but Cowboys fans can expect Winters to be suited and booted when Dallas takes the field in September. What remains to be seen with the former 49er, though, is if he'll wear the green dot for defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
In his introductory press conference, Winters admitted that, while he's willing to do anything that's asked of him, he has minimal experience with the green dot (h/t Jon Machota, The Athletic).
“I’ve only done a few practices with the green dot. That’ll be new, but there’s a first time for everything. I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
The Dallas Cowboys must sign Bobby Wagner to be their green dot linebacker
If there were ever a time for Dallas to get Bobby Wagner on the phone, it's now.
That’s not to diminish Winters, but we all saw how poor the communication was last season. Matt Eberflus deserves a large share of the blame, but it has to be cleaned up. Christian Parker alone will make a major difference, but he still needs a defensive quarterback to relay calls and keep everyone aligned.
Whether Winters can handle that responsibility is still to be determined, but he revealed Parker wants him playing in space to “run and hit” and unleash his physicality. That assignment is typically given to the WILL or weakside linebacker, whereas the MIKE or middle linebacker most commonly wears the green dot.
Enter Bobby Wagner.
Approaching his 36th birthday, Wagner can’t keep up in coverage like he once did, but his IQ remains as sharp as ever. When it comes to reading and reacting and navigating traffic against the run, you’d be hard-pressed to name five linebackers better. Incredible when you consider his age.
Between Winters, DeMarvion Overshown, and Jaishawn Barham, the Cowboys have plenty of athletic linebackers who thrive in space. What they're missing is a commanding voice in the middle to steady the unit and keep everything connected.
Wagner is the embodiment of that role. He’s been linked with the Cowboys for years. It’s time Jerry Jones stopped flirting with the idea and pulled the trigger.
He's the missing piece to the puzzle.
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