Cowboys news: Dallas o-line elite in one area, suspect in another

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 14: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) backs into the pocket behind his offensive line during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings on December 14, 2025 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesCowboys offensive line praise comes with one unavoidable condition - Marcus Mosher, The Landry Hat

The praise that comes at a price.

No team in the NFL has invested more into their offensive line than the Dallas Cowboys over the last five years. The Cowboys have spent three first-round picks on the unit since the 2022 draft and have used another third-round choice (Cooper Beebe) on their starting center. There are several teams across the league who have not taken a single first-round offensive lineman in the last decade, let alone three in five years.

But the Cowboys believe their offensive line,specifically their interior offensive line, can be the strength of their team. The truth is, it better be, considering all of the resources and assets they've used to address the group. Despite all of the resources spent, this has not been an elite unit over the last few years. However, Dallas is hopeful that it will change in 2026.

In a recent article by offensive line expert Brandon Thorn, he ranked all 32 offensive lines heading into the NFL over onEstablish The Run. The Cowboys did make an appearance inside the top 10, coming in at No. 9.

Thorn also joined theLocked On Cowboys Podcastrecently and mentioned that he would have ranked this unit higher if the rankings weren't slanted toward pass protection over run blocking (Establish The Run is a fantasy football website, and his OL rankings are weighted more towards passing).

Tyler Guyton will determine the ceiling of the Cowboys' talented offensive line

One of the reasons why Thorn was so optimistic about the Cowboys' offensive line this year was due to the interior offensive linemen on the roster, including Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker. This has a chance to be the best guard duo in all of the league, and if Cooper Beebe can continue to develop (Thorn is high on Beebe), there is no reason they can't dominate upfront.

Comparing the 2 Dallas Cowboys linebacker options - Mark Heaney, Inside the Star

The Cowboys could fortify their young linebacker group with either one of these veteran choices.

Training camp may be underway, but the main story following America's Team this past week was the front office alluding to additional roster moves being made. Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones made it clear that Dallas is still in the trade market, and an addition to the Cowboys linebacker room makes the most sense. Sure, Maxx Crosby could also make sense, but I think Dallas is comfortable with their EDGE room, at least for now.

In my eyes, that leaves the linebacker position as the most likely place they are thinking of adding to. It was their worst group last season, and while Dee Winters and Jaishawn Barham are nice additions, they could use a true top dog in the room. Two options in particular stand out, and that's what we'll get into here; this is a quick overview and comparison between free agent Bobby Wagner and Dolphins star Jordyn Brooks.

Bobby Wagner Overview: Long-Time NFL Veteran Still Produces

(36 Y/O, 162 Total Tackles for Washington in 2025, All-Pro in 2024).

B-Wags" has been filling up the tackle sheet in the NFL since 2012, and this is the first time he has really been left without a team. The 36-year-old former Seahawk, Ram, and Commander, has been rumored to be a Cowboys target for a long time, but this seems like the first real chance at it becoming a reality.

Wagner's 11-year All-Pro streak (insane stat right there) was broken last season, as his numbers took a slight downturn and his actual performance did seem like that of a nearly 40-year-old linebacker. The speed and quickness just isn't as elite as it once was. Still, he's a fantastic IQ and locker room player, productive, and would clearly be a starter for Dallas. He isn't a long-term fix like Brooks, but he is a logical low-cost band-aid on a big issue for Dallas.

Tough news about the Cowboys' most double-teamed defensive linemen - Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire

The numbers don't lie.

Despite posting a league-leading 31.2 pressure rate, theDallas Cowboysonly ranked 22nd in actual sack production. With Micah Parsons no longer demanding double-teams in Dallas, offenses feasted against the Cowboys' struggling pass rush. For years, Parsons demanded all the attention, absorbing double-teams and making life easier on his teammates in the process. Without Parsons, everyone had to do their part.

The thing about double-teams is that they're unavoidable. Most plays, the numbers are engineered to work in an offense's favor, so someone has to face it. In 2025 it was a surprising collection of defenders who had the highest double-team rate for the Cowboys and unfortunately two of those players are no longer in Dallas here in 2026. As hard as it is to believe, the Cowboy who demanded the highest double-team rate was Solomon Thomas.Based on PFF play tracking,Thomas' 67.40 double-team percentage was 12^thin the NFL. For a guy that only played 227 pass rush snaps that's pretty good. Thomas moved on to theTennessee Titansover the offseason and no longer factors into the Cowboys' equation this year.

The second most double-teamed lineman in Dallas was Kenny Clark. His production might have dipped in 2025 but respect from offenses remain intact. Clark is back in 2026,but his role in Christian Parker's system is a source of concern.Clark may have to man the nose tackle spot in the 3-4 if other options don't work out. It will guarantee a heavy dose of doubles but will take a chunk out of his pressures in the process. In his time split between the New York Jets and the Cowboys, Quinnen Williams was double-teamed at a rate of 65.6 percent. It's not far off from the league leaders and he saw a good deal of success through it all. Great things are expected of him in 2026, so he represents the hope for the new season.

The fourth Cowboy defender on the list is Osa Odighizuwa. Like Thomas, he's no longer with the team and will need to be replaced internally. It just so happens Odighizuwa was chipped at a higher rate than the previous three, but he typically posted good numbers as an interior pass rusher despite it all. Interior players dominated the list. It shouldn't be surprising since the nature of their technique almost guarantees high double-team numbers. Good interior players who demand attention means edge players get to operate in space more often. It seems to be the blueprint of the Cowboys' roster but requires dominant and feared interior players to make it work.

Jerry Jones offered surprising update on curtains at Cowboys games - R.J. Ochoa, Blogging the Boys

Let there (not) be light. Finally.

We all know the drill by now. Around the third quarter of the afternoon games at AT&T Stadium... it happens. The time of year means that the sun shines through the glass of the building and provides lighting that makes for incredible photographs and pieces of art. Cool. None of that matters relative to the objective that the building is supposed to serve, though. At least the primary objective.

Many a Cowboys player have complained about the sun and its glare through the building, and at every turn Jerry Jones has said that he isn't doing anything about it. Jerry spoke to Mike Doocy on Saturday and said that the Cowboys were giving a thought to tinting the windows the way that FIFA did for the World Cup matches that the building hosted this summer (you know, the ones at Dallas Stadium").

It is worth noting that the afternoon sun and the impact it has on the building is different in June than October, but the point is/was that FIFA did not take a chance that the play on the field would be compromised. Obviously Jerry saying that the Cowboys were simply thinking about this is not the same thing as legitimate action being taken; however, anyone who has followed the team and this storyline for some time knows that Jerry has historically completely shut down any talk of this kind.

That he is even remotely open to some sort of change feels worth talking about at the very least. Could we really see the Cowboys add curtains and in the process do something that can help their football team? This offseason and start to training camp has all felt like such a dream... maybe this is part of that.

Daily discussion question: Which Cowboys rookie is impressing you most so far?