Amid a chaotic weekend during the 2026 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys were the talk of the town. Caleb Downs was one of the best picks of the draft and Jerry Jones pulled off another masterclass, but one move the Cowboys made that's flown under the radar was the addition of LB Dee Winters.
Dallas acquired Winters from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a fifth-round pick (No. 152 overall) on Friday night, and it was quietly their best move of the weekend. The Cowboys have been searching for linebacker help all offseason long, and landing him at a discount made missing out on other LBs this offseason well worth it.
And by the looks of it, Cowboys fans aren't the only one raving about the addition of a 25-year-old budding star. When Winters' 49ers' teammate Fred Warner caught wind of the news, he made sure to gas up his former teammate and let Dallas fans know what they're getting in their newest Cowboy.
Warner posted on his Instagram story "Dallas just got them one fr" with some emojis. It's a short sentence, but it's also incredibly telling about the way his superstar teammate felt about him.
Fred Warner is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys' Dee Winters acquisition
The four-time All-Pro is the best linebacker in the NFL, so he isn't giving this praise to just anybody. Winters must have made a hell of an impact in just three seasons in San Francisco to warrant this reaction. And Cowboys fans should be amped about the perception surrounding their new LB.
After Warner suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 6, the 49ers called upon Winters to replace him... and he delivered. Winters showed flashes of his potential after making 10 starts in 2024, but in 2025, he had a career year, racking up a career-high 101 total tackles and eight TFL.
The 49ers only traded him because they had a logjam at linebacker after bringing back Dre Greenlaw, and correctly thought they would get more out of the TCU product than Tatum Bethune, and were not ready to give up on 2025 third-round pick Nick Martin yet, so Winters was clearly the odd man out.
The only issue with adding the 2023 sixth-rounder is that he's set to hit free agency next offseason, and if he has a good season, he'll likely command a large payday. And given the contract hula hoops Jerry Jones jumped through with Brandon Aubrey and still is with George Pickens, that's not ideal.
On the bright side, though, Christian Parker's defense has an exciting new Texas-based LB duo in Winters and DeMarvion Overshown, and thankfully, Warner seems to think his ex-teammate will shine with an expanded role in Dallas.
Warner's reaction alone pins the Cowboys as clear winners. If there's anyone in the league who can spot a quality linebacker, it's the 49ers' superstar.
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