The Dallas Cowboys have showed a concerted effort to address the defensive line in the 2025 free agency period.
The team has signed a mix of players with former first-round NFL Draft pedigrees and past ties to the organization or metro area. Those include Payton Turner, Solomon Thomas, and Dante Fowler Jr.
Dallas was fourth-worst in the NFL last season giving up 2,331 yards on the ground at an average of 4.8 yards a carry.
With how the Cowboys defense was in defending the run, they shouldn’t be done making moves to improve the interior.
One name that could help this cause is Miami Dolphins veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell.
Campbell, 38, is one of the NFL’s oldest journeyman … but you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at his stats.
With the Dolphins on a one-year contract in 2024, Campbell was able to play all 17 games and record 52 tackles and 5 sacks.
He was also graded in the top-10 of all defensive lineman by PFF in defense grade and run defense on that stout Dolphins front.
The numbers are impressive, but Dallas could actually gain more from a Campbell signing than just his on-field production.
His age will put him on the low end of the market, which saves money (you know Jerry Jones is listening now). His last contract was just a $2 million cap hit.
The 6-8, 300-pound Campbell can run-stop, thus filling Dallas’ 1 trouble spot on D – but he also has 110 career sacks.
We say he would also be a huge help to the maturity of the unit – particularly Mazi Smith.
A 17-year vet in Mazi’s corner could be a turning point in his professionalism, setting up the Cowboys with a future of Smith and Osa Odighizuwa that looks a lot better than it has in years past.
Dallas won’t be asking Campbell to be the anchor of the D-line for more than one year.
Yes, they’ll need his production during that time … but a signing like this does more wonders for culture-setting under new leader Brian Schottenheimer.
It shores up the defensive interior with a reliable force, brings a respected leader with valuable experience into a young locker room, and provides a spark to Cowboys Nation … which is waiting for something to push them to a full “bought-in” mentality.
There’s a lot of time before Dallas also potentially targets a defensive lineman in the NFL Draft, but if they want a quick depth fix, look no further than Calais Campbell.
