FRISCO – The Dallas Cowboys are acknowledging that in addition to signing Osa Odighizuwa to help upfront in their defense, there is work to be done in the linebackers room as well.
We understand the excitement over adding a name from the outside. The Kansas City Chiefs’ Nick Bolton is a good name. So is Robert Spillane of the Las Vegas Raiders. And we’ve had the San Francisco 49ers’ Dre Greenlaw on our wish list for quite some time.
(Sidebar on Greenlaw as he is hopefully recovered from having suffered a torn Achilles in the Super Bowl last January: Nick Sorensen, now the Dallas special-teams coordinator, was his 49ers defensive coordinator last season.)
But when it comes to the Cowboys and linebackers in free agency?
A source tells us that team owner Jerry Jones has been urged to circle back to a familiar name …
Eric Kendricks.
This decision will be one shared by personnel boss Will McClay and new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, and both of them have gotten to know Kendricks well.
McClay helped endorse the idea of signing the Mike Zimmer protege to a one-year deal for 2024. And Eberflus played against the former Minnesota Vikings standout as head coach of the Chicago Bears.
The Cowboys believe a rehabbing DeMarvion Overshown can be a star, but his latest knee injury will cost him at least half of the 2025 season. They also love the promise of 2024 rookie Marist Liufau.
But if Jerry is listening to one of his most trusted advisors
The former First-Team All-Pro linebacker Kendricks will be in play here, too.
Kendricks ran the defense for Zimmer, provided leadership and professionalism, and remains a tackling machine. … and did it all for $3 million.
Said our source: “He’s just really good and really consistent at what he does – and always has been, always at a pretty high level.
He’s not the biggest name. And he’s 33. But he developed a positive reputation over the course of 2024 with the football people in this building.
Jerry should be listening to his advisor … just as we our listening to our source.
