Before free agency even began, Jerry Jones made it clear that it was going to be a busy period for him. To his credit, that is exactly how it has played out. And when you look specifically at the defensive rebuild, this level of activity was always expected from the Dallas Cowboys’ owner and general manager. This week, Jerry addressed the defensive moves and how they could shape the upcoming season.

“What we’ve done on defense, plus what we really have set up for the draft, plus what we really have coming back from our veteran defensive players that really didn’t play much last year, injury issues, things like that, gives us a lot of promise,” Jerry said this week. “And I’ll tell you, when you have the challenges we had last year, there’s no place to go but up on the defensive side of the ball.”

The Cowboys had to address the defense after how the 2025 season unfolded. They started by making a major move and trading for Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers. As part of the trade, Dallas sent a 2027 fourth-round pick to Green Bay, and Gary agreed to take a $10 million pay cut over the next two seasons.

From there, Dallas stayed active in free agency. They first added to the secondary by signing former Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson to a three-year, $36 million deal. But given that the Cowboys had the worst pass defense in the league last season, one move was not going to be enough.

So they kept building. The team signed safety P.J. Locke on a one-year, $5 million deal and also brought in former Los Angeles Rams cornerback Cobie Durant on a one-year contract to further reinforce the secondary.

Those moves also set the stage for what comes next. The Cowboys hold two top 20 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the expectation is that Jerry will look to add another impact defender.

At the same time, this free agency period was not just about adding new pieces. It was also about addressing the gaps created by injuries to key veterans last season.

Take Trevon Diggs, for example. Injuries have been a recurring issue for him over the past few years, and 2025 was no different. In late October, Diggs was placed on injured reserve because of lingering concussion symptoms. He was later activated, but by the end of December, the Cowboys decided to release him.

DaRon Bland also dealt with setbacks. Dallas signed him to a four-year, $92 million extension with $50 million guaranteed, and he started 12 games while recording one interception, which he returned for a touchdown, along with six pass deflections and 73 combined tackles. But in December, he landed on injured reserve after suffering a foot injury that required season-ending surgery.

DeMarvion Overshown, meanwhile, is yet to complete a full season with the Cowboys. During his rookie year, he suffered a torn ACL in the second preseason game, ultimately ending his season before it even started. The following year, he tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL in Week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals, ending his season. That same injury also kept him out for the first 10 weeks of the 2025 season as he continued his recovery.

So yes, the Cowboys had the worst defense in the league in 2025. But it is also important to recognize how much injuries played into that outcome over the past couple of seasons.

Now heading into 2026, the expectation inside the organization is clear. The goal is to move past those struggles and build a more reliable defensive unit. The only lingering concern at this point is the linebacker position, which still remains unsettled.

Jerry Jones backed out of adding a linebacker to the defense

The Cowboys still have a clear need at linebacker. For context, DeMarvion Overshown has struggled to stay healthy through his first three seasons in Dallas, which has left a gap in the middle of the defense. The team reportedly explored options like Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, but both ultimately landed with the Las Vegas Raiders.

From there, attention shifted toward Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen, who was viewed as a realistic option for Dallas. At one point, there was genuine interest from the Cowboys’ side. However, Jerry Jones eventually backed out of those discussions.

“After a down year in 2025, Pittsburgh and Queen are expected to part ways this offseason, and a trade seems imminent for the former first-round pick,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris writes. “Dallas had some intrigue in the building, but the team officially pulled out of its preliminary interest Thursday afternoon.”

Queen could have been a significant addition to the Cowboys’ defensive rebuild. The 26-year-old signed a three-year, $41 million deal with Pittsburgh in 2024 and delivered solid production over the next two seasons.

He recorded 129 tackles and seven pass deflections in his first season with the Steelers, followed by 120 tackles and four pass deflections in 2025. From Pittsburgh’s perspective, moving him would have created roughly $13.33 million in cap space, and the team was reportedly looking for a mid-round pick in return.

Dallas, however, had already spent draft capital by sending a 2027 fourth-round pick to acquire Rashan Gary. Given that context, stepping back from another trade starts to make more sense.

As things stand, the linebacker position remains unresolved for the Cowboys. Whether they address it through another move in the coming weeks or wait until the draft is now the key question moving forward.