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FRISCO, TX — One thing was made evident in 2023 by the Dallas Cowboys' defense, and that's the fact that linebackers do, in fact, matter, and Mike Zimmer took to 2024 with the goal of driving that point home in a big way.
He'd do exactly that by way of the addition of Eric Kendricks in free agency, Marist Liufau as a third-round pick in April and the swift emergence of DeMarvion Overshown following a torn ACL that kept him off of the field the year prior.
It was one hell of a ride at linebacker for the Cowboys, one of the most fun and impactful in years but, as was the case at other positions as well in 2024, things didn't end well.
Thanks to the injury bug, and looming free agency, things look troubling — again.
Past: I'd be remiss if I didn't lead the discussion on past Cowboys linebackers without highlighting both DeMarcus Ware and Chuck Howley, the latest two legendary LBs from Dallas immortalized during the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony in Canton.
Yes, Ware was more or less an edge rusher but that was because he was an outside linebacker operating primarily in a 3-4 defensive scheme, and one of the best to ever do it, as well.
Howley is often overlooked for whatever reason, finally getting his due as a HOFer this year, but what he did on the field for the Cowboys deserves roses; and lots of them. It was players like Howley, Lee Roy Jordan and Thomas Henderson who set the standard that others chased throughout their careers with the Cowboys.
And while not every one of them reached the greatest of heights, for varying reasons (e.g., Eugene Lockhart was tasked with trying to drag the Cowboys out of the leanest of Tom Landry's final years in Dallas), they deserve to be honored as the founding fathers at the position.
Names like Ken Norton, Jr. come to mind, along with the dynamic duo of Dexter Coakley and Dat Nguyen, leading up to the dominance of Sean Lee, whose career might've put him in the Ring of Honor and/or Hall of Fame if not slowed and ended prematurely due to injury.
Can the new age of linebackers match serve with the greatness that preceded them?
Present: It was a year wherein the Cowboys waved goodbye to former first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch, the former Pro Bowl linebacker being forced to medically retire by his own body, and that made a dire straits situation that much more so heading into a free agency that also featured a change in defensive coordinator.
Kendricks helped Zimmer save the day by swerving from his agreement to join the San Francisco 49ers and instead sign on with the Cowboys — the most important free agent signing last spring.
Liufau being added in the draft was first met with a "why?" from those outside of the building, seeing as Overshown was slated to make his debut, but it all made sense before it was all said-and-done, as Overshown's injury thrust Liufau to the forefront to become Robin to Kendricks' Batman and, at times, looking like Batman himself.
Nick Vigil, another Zimmer addition, became a special teams' ace and, on the whole, the linebackers' corps took huge strides forward in 2024 (mostly). But that was then, and this is now, and now there are new problems.
Damone Clark is entering Year 4 and he'd like to take Year 3 out back and burn it, his season under Zimmer devolving into a string of healthy scratches that led to his worst season as a professional, cascading from 17 starts and 109 tackles in 2023 to only two starts and 28 tackles in 2024.
That makes you wonder if he and the Cowboys will remain together for the year to come or if the former fifth-round pick will seek and be granted a fresh start elsewhere.
Future: Overshown suffered a torn ACL to his other knee that not only ended his outstanding debut season, but all but guarantees he misses the start of the next one, and likely a chunk of the entire 2025 campaign. What that means is Liufau not only serves as the saving grace, but also that he might need help due to Kendricks heading to free agency.
There will also be depth issues that could come to the surface due to free agency, seeing as both Vigil and practice squad linebacker Darius Harris are also on expiring contracts and, again, it's unknown what the future holds for Clark, despite being under contract currently.
Buddy Johnson and Brock Mogensen are promising young talents, but the Cowboys can't rightfully name either as the replacement for Overshown and/or Kendricks, and that means the position needs addressing again in 2025.
An annual tradition, it seems.
