Can this $3.7M Cowboys addition do what 3 vets couldn't do for $10.6M?
The Dallas Cowboys took three swings and struck out last year. Will their LB addition finally be the hit they've been looking for?
Certain positions demand a degree of readiness when veteran additions are made; running back is generally considered plug-and-play from team to team. Cornerback is usually thought of as a smooth veteran transition, and linebacker is widely regarded as a spot where a veteran can hit the ground running somewhere new. Yet in 2025, the Dallas Cowboys struggled mightily in getting their veteran linebackers to do anything right.
The Cowboys welcomed three veteran linebackers to the mix last season: Kenneth Murray, Jack Sanborn and Logan Wilson. All three were swings and misses. Sanborn and Wilson looked like they were running in mud in 2025 and struggled to even stay on the field.
Murray moved well but to all the wrong places (see also: PFF grade that ranked him 86 of 88). The Cowboys spent $7. 5 million on Murray, $1.
2 million on Sanborn and $2. 9 million for Wilson, totaling $10. 6 million on veterans from the outside who offered little actual benefit.