New Coach, New Life: Cowboys $3 million fifth-round pick could be reinvented, or cut

reidhanson

NFL careers don’t always progress in straight lines. For many prospects making the jump from college to the pros, development can be an up and down affair throughout the first few years. This roller-coaster can obviously be frustrating for the player and team, but it’s also tough on a fanbase eager to find answers. Damone Clark, a fourth-year linebacker out of LSU, is such player for the Dallas Cowboys.

Winning First-Team All-SEC honors, Clark was regarded by many as one of the top college linebackers in the country. Wearing the celebrated No. 18 jersey for the Tigers, Clark was a respected presence on the LSU defense, earning high marks both on and off the field. Clark was expected to come off the board early in the 2022 NFL draft, that is until Cowboys team doctors discovered a herniated disk at the NFL combine.

Clark’s medical condition required spinal fusion surgery just prior to the draft. The procedure put his rookie season and career in doubt, causing him to fall into Day 3 of the draft. Eventually the team that first discovered the spinal injury was the one who drafted him, with Dallas selecting Clark No. 176 overall in 2022.

The long-term prognosis soon began to look good for Clark, and the Cowboys appeared optimistic they’d even be able to get him onto the field at some point in his rookie season. Low and behold, Clark contributed in 10 games that first year, surprisingly starting in five. The future was bright, and it seemed Dallas had another late round steal on their hands heading into 2023.

But Clark struggled in his second season, missing assignments, failing in his run fits and struggling in coverage. He started all 17 games, but he was unreliable and inconsistent on Dan Quinn’s explosive defense.

2024 was supposed to be a bounce-back year for Clark, but again the young ‘backer struggled. Clark participated in 14 games under the Mike Zimmer-led Cowboys, but he only started two of them. Playing primarily special teams, Clark contributed fewer defensive snaps in 2024 than he did as a recovering rookie two years prior. The rollercoaster had taken a downturn and now Clark stands on the brink of not even making the roster in 2025.

The Cowboys could save more than $3 million by cutting this once-promising prospect over the offseason. With a couple notable outside veterans set to hit free agency, it’s possible the Cowboys could decide the safety of signing a declining veteran is more attractive than the unknown someone like Clark provides. The Cowboys LB ranks are thin so the Cowboys can’t afford to take any unnecessary gambles at the position. Banking on Clark is certainly a gamble.

But new defensive Matt Eberflus could change things for Clark in Dallas. Eberflus is a LB guru and while demanding, he’s been known to turn water into wine from time to time. If he can tap into Clark’s potential and develop the aspiring star into the player the Cowboys thought he would be, it could be a win-win for the Cowboys and Clark.

Dallas is understandably bullish on young LBs DeMarvion Overshown and Marist Luifau. But Overshown is recovering from a significant knee injury and Liufau is still learning the ropes. The Cowboys need a couple complementary pieces to fill in the gaps and hold down the fort while those two work things out. At just 24-years-old, Clark still has time to develop. The question is will that be with the Cowboys?

Eberflus’ presence gives Clark, 6-foot-3, 240-pounds, a bit of blank slate to work with. Talented young players with the size and length of Clark don’t come around all the time so if the new DC in Dallas thinks he can make Clark work, his $3,385,639 cap hit in 2025 may be a bargain. What’s clear is that figure is far too much to pay a glorified special teams player so it will be up to the Cowboys to determine whether this rollercoaster ride is on the way up in 2025 or stuck down on the ground.