In a somewhat surprising move during the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers traded linebacker Dee Winters to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Apparently, Winters had grown into a key piece of the 49ers’ defense, starting all 17 games last season. Still, the team re-signed Dre Greenlaw this offseason, and it became clear that Dee’s role might shrink heading into 2026. Speaking after Day 2 of the draft, GM John Lynch explained the reasoning behind the decision to move on from the young linebacker.

“We made that trade today, and that’s tough because Dee’s a guy who’s done a lot for us here,” John Lynch said. “Sixth-round pick out of TCU, but Dee is one of the favourite guys in that locker room amongst his teammates. He’s done a lot for us on the field. We just felt like we were in a good position at linebacker, and Dallas has been really interested in him for a long time.”

Last season, he recorded 101 tackles, five pass breakups, and even returned an interception for a touchdown. So it’s less about his performance and more about the 49ers’ depth at linebacker and their willingness to make tough calls to improve the roster in the long term.

“I’d say the talks probably started with Stephen Jones and me when we were talking about Osa (Odighizuwa). They’ve stayed on that. We kind of held it off for a while, and as we got there (Friday), we just felt like it was the right thing to do for our team,” Lynch said, explaining further about his decision.

The Cowboys were eagerly looking for a linebacker. They held trade discussions with the Houston Texans regarding Azeez Al-Shaair and with the Miami Dolphins regarding Jordyn Brooks. But neither of them worked since these franchises asked for more than the Cowboys were willing to offer. Then, six weeks before the draft, the Cowboys and Niners first broached the idea of the trade.

Initially, they talked about DT Osa Odighizuwa, whom the 49ers acquired from the Cowboys in exchange for a third-round pick. But as the first day of the draft arrived. Then, after stalling for some time, the Niners gave in. They traded Winters for a fifth-round pick. They did it to gain draft capital and manage a crowded linebacker room following the return of Dre Greenlaw. Despite it being a tough decision to part with him, the GM wished him luck in his future endeavors.

“It’s a good opportunity for Dee,” Lynch said. “I think there’s a lot of opportunity for him to shine, and just very grateful for Dee’s time here and all his contributions he made to our squad.”

At the end, Lynch is grateful to Winters for showing up when it mattered. He has been a massive support to the team. Regardless, they also benefited as they could reinvest the sixth-round pick in drafting someone young. Despite the 49ers stalling, the trade finally happened, and the Cowboys’ head coach couldn’t be more thrilled about it.

Brian Schottenheimer is excited about Dee Winters trade

The Dallas Cowboys have done well in getting Dee Winters. Not only did they address the depth issue in the LB room, but they also got themselves an elite player who is sure to uplift the defense. Likewise, head coach Brian Schottenheimer has expressed his joy over the trade of Winters.

“Couldn’t be more thrilled with the addition of Dee Winters. This is a guy that we’ve been watching play for a while,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “Rare speed and athleticism, and it’s a veteran in the room for us, which is great.”

The HC has also confirmed that the LB’s starting position is not guaranteed. He needs to work for it.

“We’re going to let them all train, and we don’t have to make that decision today,” Schottenheimer said.

Besides Winters, the franchise had three off-ball linebackers: DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James, and Justin Barron. In the draft, they also picked Michigan’s Jaishawn Barham in the third round. Although he is an edge rusher, Schottenheimer confirmed that he would begin training as a work at inside linebacker. Moreover, the owner still stands in favor of adding more linebackers.

“There’s work to be done. We’re still building the room. We needed to rebuild it. As [defensive coordinator Christian Parker] said, I think we only had two chairs in the room before the draft so, no, we need to keep being creative there and add players and have competition. So we’ll certainly give that a good going over as we look at a situation [Saturday].”

Jones wants to build a linebacker room from scratch and with proper depth. Previously, they had only two or three players, but now they have five. But he is keeping the option for adding more players open to create a competitive environment, which could benefit the players and the team.

As things stand, it certainly won’t be a cakewalk for Dee Winters to get into the first team. He will have to do his best. As far as stats go, he proved that in his last season with the 49ers. But he needs to show consistency. According to Stephen Jones, Winters moved to a new house in Arlington, Texas. He is getting ready to be the reason for Schottenheimer to continue getting excited.