Going into the 2026 offseason, linebacker was one of the biggest needs for the Dallas Cowboys. Owner/General Manager Jerry Jones knew it, but so did every team he called. On Friday, April 24th, a fifth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers closed the search, with linebacker Dee Winters coming in. But the player Jerry actually wanted was in Houston, and that call didn’t go his way. 

Per ESPN’s Todd Archer, Dallas tried to trade for Azeez Al-Shaair from the Houston Texans before turning to the Niners. Al-Shaair played 16 games last season, earning his first Pro Bowl nod, and finished the season with 103 total tackles, two interceptions, and nine passes defended. He’s Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans’ defensive anchor – the play-caller, the team captain, and the linebacker Houston built its front around. And the fit was even more tempting to Dallas because of what happened to their free-agency targets.

“The Cowboys searched for a middle linebacker in free agency but were unable to land Quay Walker, Devin Lloyd, or Nakobe Dean,” Archer wrote. “The Cowboys had trade discussions with several teams, including the Houston Texans for Azeez Al-Shaair and the Miami Dolphins for Jordyn Brooks, per sources, but what those teams wanted in return was too much.”

Free agency dried up first. Walker and Dean both went to the Las Vegas Raiders, and Devin Lloyd landed with the Carolina Panthers – all before Jerry Jones turned to the trade market. As for Miami and Houston, Dallas wasn’t prepared to pay a premium. Even if the Cowboys somehow decided to pay, it didn’t seem like Houston was going to move their anchor Al-Shaair regardless.

The player was in contact with the team for a contract extension this offseason, which is all the more reason things would have been difficult for the Cowboys. Moreover, Al-Shaair shares a great relationship with Ryans and is the Texans’ defensive cornerstone.

Dallas only had three off-ball linebackers on the roster: DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James, and Justin Barron going into the draft. They needed to add players in the position, and regardless Texans would give up on talent or not, the Cowboys were always going to make a move.

Every name Jones was looking at to add defensive solidity was expensive or out of reach. However, it all ended well for the franchise as they now have a player in Winters, who might fit better with them than Al-Shaair would.

Why Dee Winters fits well with Dallas

Winters isn’t a marquee name. But he started all 17 games last season for a 49ers defense run by one of the league’s more demanding systems under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. He still managed 101 tackles, logged eight tackles for loss, defended five passes, and even had a Pick-6 for 74 yards. That’s real production at a position of need, as Dallas highlighted.

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

At 5-foot-11 and 227 pounds with 27 career starts, Winters profiles as a legitimate starter. Under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, Dallas is making the shift back to a 3-4 base – the first time since 2012, after 13 years in a 4-3 scheme. A full-time starting linebacker was the most obvious gap in that build, and Winters now fills it.

Some might frame this as Jones settling after striking out on bigger targets. But that reading ignores what Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones confirmed. Dallas and San Francisco were engaged in this trade talk for six weeks – well before the draft, well before Winters’ name surfaced in any public report. Winters was in the middle of moving into a new house in Arlington when the call came on Friday. The Cowboys were just finishing something they’d already started.

But will Winters wear the “green dot” to be the star that communicates with the sideline during games? When asked about it, Schottenheimer left it up in the air. 

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

That communication role stays open, at least for now. Meanwhile, Jerry Jones’ third-round addition, Jaishawn Barham, will be playing inside linebacker, adding real competition and depth to the room.

Dallas also got Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick, and he’s expected to be a player who could star immediately. Malachi Lawrence was chosen 23rd overall to add a pass-rushing threat behind Rashan Gary. And now, Dee Winters joins the defensive rebuild. Jerry Jones may have missed out on Azeez Al-Shaair, but his defense didn’t miss a single step.