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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
6 players on roster bubble before Cowboys training camp begins includes first-round pick
The Dallas Cowboys rarely make big splashes in free agency, but this offseason, they made significant signings and trades to bolster the team's depth. The roster bubble in Dallas doesn't normally consist of veterans who have already contributed, but rather young players whom fans were hoping could develop into impactful players at positions of need. The last few seasons, players like Justin Rodgers, Isaiah Land, and John Ridgeway were on the bubble. This year, veterans will surf the bubble just as much as rookies. The Cowboys will look to determine which positions require extra bodies and which don't have depth, then strike a winning balance for the 53-man roster. Here are two defensive options and four offensive players who are on the bubble this training camp. LB Damone Clark Damone Clark has 24 starts with the Cowboys for two different defensive coordinators, playing over 1,300 defensive snaps and nearly 500 special teams plays. He has never been able to solidify his spot as one of the top guys at the position, however. Dallas continued to draft players and sign veterans to play ahead of him, and this offseason, they signed Jack Sanborn, traded up to draft Shemar James, and acquired Kenneth Murray through a trade. Dallas now has depth at the position, and Clark is in the final year of his deal. If the team wants to be shrewd, they could let Clark go and keep a James and or a Justin Barron to protect them from being stolen off waivers. Sanborn, Murray, Marist Liufau, James, and Barron can hold the spots on the 53-man roster until DeMarvion Overshown returns from injury. DE Payton Turner Payton Turner is the other defensive player on the bubble for Dallas. The position he is playing makes it challenging because the team has Micah Parsons and Dante Fowler Jr. as starters. They also have three, young, top 50 picks at the position. Turner was a first-round pick, but hasn't started a game yet because he was injured early on. He only played 15 games in his first three seasons before getting in 16 last year. He has potential, but at a position with two double-digit sack players as starters and multiple young investments, the Cowboys may need to give snaps to their other options, making Turner the odd man out. IOL T.J. Bass T.J. Bass hasn't been on the roster bubble since signing as an Undrafted Free Agent(UDFA) in 2023. He has played in 30% of the offensive snaps and started five games in his two years in Dallas. He looked like a possible Zack Martin replacement as a rookie, but regressed last year. This spring the Cowboys signed Robert Jones, who started 17 games for the Miami Dolphins, along with Saahdiq Charles and Hakeem Adeniji, who can all play at guard. They also drafted Tyler Booker in the first round, brought back Brock Hoffman, and they have Nate Thomas, who can play both offensive tackle and offensive guard. Bass could end up making the team, but unlike the last two seasons, it isn't a certainty that he is on the 53-man roster. RB Deuce Vaughn The Cowboys added two veteran running backs and two draft picks, so Deuce Vaughn would typically be off the 53-man roster, but his former coach is now the offensive line coach here. With a sponsor in the room, Vaughn may make it. If the team keeps one veteran from Jevonte Williams and Miles Sanders, and only Jaydon Blue makes the team as a rookie, Vaughn could sneak on the team with Conor Riley speaking up for him. He is on the bubble at best. WR Parris Campbell Parris Campbell is in the battle for sixth receiver, only if Dallas decides to keep one. Jalen Brooks and Ryan Flournoy are players who fit the roles of George Pickens and Jonathan Mingo, so making the roster might make the position redundant. Campbell and Jalen Cropper are smaller, shifty options Dallas doesn't have. CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin can do some of those things, but it isn't their specialty. Campbell adds a speed option who can bring what Turpin does, but with a higher quality of play at the position. He has always had the talent, but Campbell continually gets injured, and that is the question the team must answer. Should they risk losing someone elsewhere to keep a speedy receiver who is often on the shelf? TE Princeton Fant Princeton Fant played in two games as a rookie as a special-teams contributor and then eight games in 2024. He was a depth piece on offense at tight end and fullback, but only had 14 snaps on offense. His special-teams snaps increased from 30 to 148, and this is what could keep him on the roster. Dallas has three players locked in. Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford, and Luke Schoonmaker. If Fant makes the team, it will be his special-teams contributions and the fact that he can play fullback if Hunter Luepke isn't able to play. The Cowboys could avoid taking a fourth tight end, but if they do, they might prefer an athletic, stretch-type option like Johnny Stephens Jr., Rivaldo Fairweather, or Tyler Neville. You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Six veterans on the roster bubble for the Dallas Cowboys
Chicago Tribune
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
After 3 seasons with Chicago Bears, Lake Zurich's Jack Sanborn is ‘grateful' for new start with Dallas Cowboys
As Jack Sanborn enters his first season with the Dallas Cowboys, consider some of the previous stops in his football career. He started at middle linebacker as a freshman at Lake Zurich in 2014. He played in 11 games as a freshman at Wisconsin in 2018. He signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and started six games as a rookie. 'The thing I saw in Jack, even his freshman year, was his willingness to do whatever it took to make himself better,' former Lake Zurich coach David Proffitt said. 'The players that stay consistent in doing those things usually go further in their careers.' So don't expect the 6-foot-2, 234-pound Sanborn to take his foot off the gas in Dallas. He knows what he has to do to continue playing in the NFL. 'It's your job,' he said. 'In college, I started to believe that the NFL was a true tangible goal I could pursue. Now that I'm here, I don't take it for granted. 'It's an incredible privilege to play a game at the highest possible level, and it's important to understand that improving every day is necessary because there's always someone waiting and working to take your spot.' Sanborn kept a roster spot for three seasons in Chicago. He played in 48 games, including 19 starts, and recorded 164 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 4 1/2 sacks. Off the field, he received the Ed Block Courage Award in March 2024. 'There were definitely a ton of moments where I had to sit back and pinch myself, especially early in my career, thinking about where I was playing,' he said. 'I obviously had a close interest in the Bears growing up here. 'But that was the last thing on my mind after college when I was just trying to do everything I was supposed to do to make the team. It all happened so fast.' Sanborn had to find a new team in the offseason, however. He was a restricted free agent and wasn't tendered a contract by the Bears. So Sanborn signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Cowboys in March. He has reunited with former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, who is the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, and former Bears linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi. 'In leaving (the Bears), it's only natural to wonder what type of business the NFL is,' Sanborn said. 'Was I disappointed in the moment after it happened? Yes. But now I'm having another 'pinch me' moment playing for the Dallas Cowboys. I'm so grateful to be part of the culture they're trying to build there.' Sanborn, who could return to Soldier Field when the Cowboys visit the Bears on Sept. 21, is also grateful for the journey. 'Every step is so great, and every step is worthy of celebration,' he said. With each step Sanborn has taken, one thing hasn't changed. 'I think it's crucial that I've never lost my passion for football,' he said. 'It's different now than it was when I was 7 or 8 playing with my friends. I've got certain priorities in my job as an athlete. But it's important to have that abundant belief that you can do whatever you put your mind to.'
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kenneth Murray Jr. Promises One Key Improvement for the Dallas Cowboys Defense
Kenneth Murray Jr. Promises One Key Improvement for the Dallas Cowboys Defense originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Cowboys made several moves this offseason to improve their defense heading into the 2025 season. Dallas added value to the linebacker room by trading for former first-round pick Kenneth Murray Jr., and by signing linebacker Jack Sanborn. Advertisement Both are penciled in as starters. And … Murray is expected to contribute from Day 1 and there are rumors coming out of OTAs that he could wear the green dot to call plays this year. As someone who could immediately step in to relay the defensive play calls and quarterback the defense, Murray is vowing the unit will improve in a key area that's haunted them for years. Murray believes the Cowboys must stop the run if they truly want to be a great defense group. "The first thing you need to start by building a great defense is stopping the run,' Murray said, via DLLS. 'And so I think that was really the first thing that Ebeflus kind of talked about was stopping the run as a pillar of our defense. It's definitely an emphasis for us. Advertisement "Obviously, it's a new style coming in, and then, you know, got some new players. That's something that I'll take extremely personally. That that's mentality I'm gonna bring to it. It's personal, man. When they just running it down your throat, it's unacceptable." Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is known for an aggressive scheme and consistently getting stellar play out of his linebackers. Murray recorded 95 tackles, 3.5 sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble across 14 games last season in Tennessee. But now? Murray has a chance to be a key contributor on a Cowboys defense that's looking to be an elite level unit. Advertisement Related: Cowboys Make Major Change To Fix Glaring Roster Flaw Related: DeMarvion Overshown Previews His New Jersey Number at Cowboys OTAs This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys have options to help survive absence of key defender, former 3rd-round pick
It's hard to find a more promising player on the Dallas Cowboys defense than third-year linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. Overshown, a 2023 third-round pick, has been quite the rising star since joining the Cowboys. Blessed with speed, explosiveness and game awareness, Overshown is a human highlight reel whenever he's on the field. The only problem is he's not regularly able to be on the field. Injuries are as much a part of Overshown's young career as his highlights. A pair of significant knee injuries have limited the 24-year-old to just 13 games through two seasons. Still recovering from offseason surgery, it's a situation that promises to bleed well into the Cowboys' 2025 campaign, requiring bridge players and contingency plans at the weakside linebacker (WILL) position early this season. Advertisement Overshown's exact return date has yet to be determined but given the severity and timing of the injury, anything before Thanksgiving would be considered an optimistic estimate. As such, the Cowboys have had to operate as if they're hunting for a true starter at WILL and not just a Band Aid to tread water. The Cowboys actively shopped the LB position throughout the offseason, adding veterans Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn and drafting Shemar James. It's a bit of a mystery as to where each player will fit on the Dallas defense this season but it's a safe bet new Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus will test out a number of combinations. One player who could indirectly dictate where the pieces fit is second-year player Marist Liufau. Liufau, a third-round draft pick out of Notre Dame, flashed brightly during his rookie season. Liufau was inconsistent but displayed special traits which can't be taught. Like Overshown, he factors into the future at LB making his final landing spot somewhat clear. If Overshown is the future at WILL, then Liufau likely has to move to the middle (MIKE) at some point. With only two LB spots considered 'starters,' there aren't any other options left for Liufau. Granted the Cowboys could keep Liufau at WILL for another season while Overshown eases back. But with so much depth across the LB ranks it's probably wiser to start the move to MIKE right now. Advertisement If Liufau moves to the middle, he'll likely platoon with another player to share the workload. Sanborn, listed as the only MIKE on the roster, could be that player. This would leave Murray and the rookie (Shemar) James to duke it out at WILL. Murray, a veteran, is physically gifted but lacks the film to look like an obvious solution. James is equally as troubling since he's a Day 3 rookie who will be just lucky to crack a rotation in 2025. Even Damone Clark, the forgotten fourth-year LB, could step into the mix and serve as the bridge to Overshown this season. It really is an open competition heading into training camp. Eberflus is considered a LB guru, so if anyone can find an optional solution for both the short and long term, it's probably him. But Overshown is going to miss significant time in 2025 and finding a starting quality bridge player is imperative. Luckily for the Cowboys they have a handful of quality options to test out this summer. You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans! This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys will use summer to find bridge to injured LB Overshown
