WHO is going to start at linebacker for the Cowboys???

AtoZ Sports

Mauricio Rodriguez discusses the Dallas Cowboys linebacker situation in light of the DeMarvion Overshown injury news.

Transcript

00:00So it's been a big week for the Marvin Overshown, who is changing his jersey number.

00:05But recent news about him and his rehab from injury are a reminder of a problem the Cowboys

00:11are unlikely to solve in the NFL draft and a reminder of someone who is very important

00:17to the success of the Cowboys.

00:21Hey, what's up, everyone?

00:23It's Mauricio Rodriguez here at ADZ Sports Dallas.

00:25We are talking the Marvin Overshown.

00:27It's been a big week for him.

00:28He's finally getting number zero as his jersey number, which is obviously huge for many

00:34reasons.

00:35He wanted to wear that number since he got out of college, was declined by the Cowboys

00:40because that's Rowdy, the mascot's number.

00:43And they didn't want Overshown to also have it.

00:45And then last year, Overshown was like, if I have a good year, they'll let me have it.

00:50And he did.

00:51And now he is being rewarded for it.

00:53It's also going to boost the Cowboys jersey sales, I guess.

00:56So everybody wins.

00:57But Overshown has been in the news.

00:59He's been on NFL Network, ESPN.

01:01And recently, Nick Harris from 4th World Star-Telegram reported that a realistic timetable for his

01:09return from injury is November.

01:12So somewhere around the middle of the season, Nick Harris actually said early November.

01:17That is very positive when you look at it from the angle of, hey, we didn't even know if

01:23he was going to play in 2025 when the first details of the injury were emerging last year.

01:29So the fact that he's playing at all in 2025 seems like a little bit of a win.

01:34But it is also a reminder of one of the biggest problems that the Cowboys have in 2025.

01:39And that's that they're not going to have Overshown for about half a season.

01:43And that brings up the question of who is going to be filling in for him.

01:47And I just don't see the Cowboys addressing that with a 12th overall pick.

01:52And if you're talking about adding a day two, day three linebacker, I don't see that as being

01:58as impactful to solve it, basically.

02:01So you kind of have to solve it with what's already on the roster.

02:05And that is obviously Maurice Leofau, who is going to be playing in his second year in

02:09the NFL and who already showed he's got what it takes to start at the NFL level.

02:14He's only going to be better in 2025.

02:17So Maurice Leofau gets a big thumbs up.

02:19After him, though, the depth chart takes a big hit, mostly because we're talking about

02:25unproven players.

02:26You will have former first rounder Kenneth Murray, who the Cowboys traded for this offseason,

02:32who hasn't done well.

02:33Simply put, when playing defense, he might be a solid special teams addition and he might

02:38be a solid backup, but he has not lived up to the hype at all.

02:42And I think he's borderline starting level, honestly.

02:46DeMond Clark, I don't know what to make out of this situation.

02:48He was once poised to take up a big role on the Cowboys defense.

02:53Then Mike Simmer basically benched him last year and he just got buried in the depth chart.

02:59We don't know if Matt Evenflus might give him another chance at basically jumpstarting

03:03his career.

03:04But the one name that stands out on that Cowboys linebacker room is Jack Sandburn.

03:10And he could be a critical part of the Cowboys puzzle on defense.

03:15And that's because Sandburn comes from Chicago.

03:17So he already knows Matt Evenflus' defense.

03:20Now, it isn't quite the same as when Eric Kendricks was brought in by Mike Simmer because

03:26Eric Kendricks had been playing for a Simmer-style defense for over a decade by that point.

03:32But Sandburn still knows what's up with Evenflus.

03:36And he's somebody that was rising in Chicago before getting to Dallas.

03:41He was seen as this number three, number four linebacker that when he got on the field,

03:45he did good things.

03:46And Chicago Bears fans were even upset at the fact that the Bears didn't resign this guy.

03:51So you're going to play around eight weeks without the Marvion overshown.

03:54And the question is, is what you have enough?

03:58And I look at this depth chart.

04:00And if somebody is going to stand out, I think it's going to be Jack Sandburn making him

04:04one of the most important players.

04:06But it is a problem, and it is one that I don't see the Cowboys solving through the NFL

04:10draft.

04:11The number 12 overall pick is likely going to be used in a different position, whether

04:15that is offensive line, wide receiver, running back.

04:18Linebacker is something that we just haven't heard that the Cowboys are really interested

04:22in addressing.

04:23So you had Campbell, Jalen Walker.

04:26Don't really look like choices at number 12 for Dallas, even though you never know.

04:30But so far, expect the Cowboys to try and solve the overshown absence with what they've already

04:37got on the roster.

04:38Something to keep an eye out for, for sure.

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