Cowboys making roster moves before training camp – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys brought in a couple of free agent defenders for the upcoming training camp.
The Cowboys are expected to sign two players that participated in workouts last week for the team in former Packers CB Robert Rochell and former UFL Birmingham Stallions DT Perrion Winfrey, who are in the process of being signed.
The corresponding moves the Cowboys made in order to sign Rochell and Winfrey were waiving DT Justin Rogers and CB Luq Barcoo.
Rochell, 27, is entering his fifth year in the league and will now join his sixth different team. The Los Angeles Rams selected Rochell out of Central Arkansas in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, where he spent the first two years of his career.
In his rookie season, Rochell played in 11 games and tallied 14 tackles, four pass defenses and an interception before being placed on injured reserve in December of 2021, just months before the Rams won Super Bowl LVI making him a Super Bowl champion. In 2022, he played in all 17 games for the Rams, primarily on special teams.
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In his two seasons playing in the NFL, Winfrey appeared in 14 games and tallied 25 tackles, a tackle for loss and half a sack to go along with two pass deflections.
The UFL’s Birmingham Stallions signed Winfrey in October of 2024, and he was named to the 2025 All-UFL team after tallying 29 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack last season. Winfrey is the third player the Cowboys have signed from the UFL in recent years, joining KaVontae Turpin and another former Birmingham Stallion in Brandon Aubrey.
Cowboys among 6 offenses ready for a breakout – Ted Nguyen, The Athletic
Will the Cowboys return to the upper echelon of offenses this season?
In 2023, the Cowboys ranked second in expected points added (EPA) per play, eighth in explosive play rate, and first in points per drive. In 2024, quarterback Dak Prescott was injured in Week 9, but before that, the Cowboys’ offense floundered, ranking 22nd in EPA per play. They couldn’t run the ball effectively and struggled to find a consistent option outside of receiver CeeDee Lamb.
Though it’ll be difficult for the offense to put up the same numbers they did a couple of seasons ago, there’s a chance it could be one of the best this season and have better answers against good defenses than the 2023 team, which funneled targets to Lamb. Lamb had 79 more targets that season than the next leading receiver, tight end Jake Ferguson. The offense was built on timing and precision but needed another explosive option. In the playoffs that season, the Green Bay Packers’ defense doubled Lamb, and the Cowboys’ other receivers struggled to get open. The offense only scored 16 points in the first three quarters before making a late push when the game was mostly out of hand.
This offseason, the Cowboys traded for George Pickens. Pickens has a very siloed skill set — he’s a deep-ball winner. But he’s elite at it, and he perfectly complements Lamb, who excels at winning inside and in the intermediate parts of the field. If teams double Lamb, Pickens can punish them deep and Ferguson can eat underneath.
The skeleton key for the Cowboys’ offense is the development of left tackle Tyler Guyton, last year’s first-round draft pick. Guyton was relatively new to playing offensive line, having converted from defense in college, but he’s a physical freak who understandably had a rough rookie season. If he lives up to his vast potential, the Cowboys will have a dominant left side with Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith. They also committed more resources to building upfront, drafting right guard Tyler Booker in the first round this year. The line has the potential to be a real strength for the Cowboys to go with their talented receiver duo. With Prescott’s return, the stars could be aligning for the Cowboys’ offense.
NFL execs, scouts pick their favorite offseason moves: Where George Pickens rates – Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
The Pickens trade is ranked as one of the top eight offseason moves in the NFL.
Staying with Pittsburgh-related matters, the Steelers moved on from Pickens for a few reasons. His maturity issues were well-known within Pittsburgh’s locker room and front office. So, the Steelers made the evaluation that Pickens and Rodgers probably would not hit it off.
But Dallas has leaned into a certain strategy more than any other team. The Cowboys are willing to relinquish draft capital for high-upside talent on rookie contracts. The Cowboys executed three trades in this realm, acquiring Buffalo Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam, New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III and now Pickens, who has the talent to become a top-10 receiver. You know the Pickens trade might be a winner when people in the NFC East mention, unprompted, that the acquisition might just shift the dynamic of the Cowboys’ offense.
“Dealing with CeeDee [Lamb] and him opens things up for them,” a coach in the division said.
Added an AFC personnel man: “He’ll be a big piece there. When he’s covered, he’s really open. I know the concerns are there, but I think having an already established passing game with veterans to help him along, and the fact he’s in a contract year, will help keep him in line. If you can tap into what he can do fully, his major ability will shine through.”
Ranking the NFL’s Best Cornerback Duos Ahead of the 2025 Season – Mo Moton, Bleacher Report
If healthy, there’s no reason why Daron Bland and Trevon Diggs should not be considered a Top 10 duo.
7. Dallas Cowboys: Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland
When Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland are healthy, they have All-Pro potential.
In 2021, Diggs recorded 21 pass breakups and 11 interceptions, returning two for touchdowns in an All-Pro season. He followed up with 14 pass breakups and three interceptions in a 2022 Pro Bowl campaign, though Bland led the Dallas Cowboys in interceptions with five that year.
During the 2023 term, Bland etched his name in NFL history books when he set the record for pick-sixes in a single season, converting five of his nine interceptions into touchdowns.
Diggs and Bland would be much higher on this list if not for injuries. Last season, they missed 16 games combined.
If this was before the 2023 season, Diggs and Bland would be a top-three cornerback duo, but the Cowboys cover men must prove they can stay healthy and return to ball-hawking form.
NFL All Quarter Century team: Best 53-man roster, coaches – Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder, ESPN
In total, four former Cowboys make the list, including Terrell Owens and Wade Philips, who both spent parts of their careers in Dallas. In terms of homegrown talent, Zack Martin and DeMarcus Ware make this list.
Zack Martin. Résumé since 2000: 162 starts,
Martin’s number of first-team All-Pro selections (seven) is the highest total for any guard since 2000. Former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo once said Martin didn’t have a weakness and had everything required of an offensive lineman at an elite level: footwork, base, punch, athleticism, strength and mind.
Demarcus Ware. Résumé since 2000:
There are so many great edge rushers to choose from, but they generally come in two categories: great career totals or great peaks with a high ratio of sacks to games played. Ware had the best balance between the two. He had the third-most sacks out of all players since 2000, while his 0.78 sacks per game rank fourth among edge rushers.
Cowboys All-Quarter Century Team: Tony Romo, Dak Prescott, DeMarcus Ware, Jason Witten lead the way – Garrett Podell, CBS Sports
CBS builds its own Cowboys All-Quarter Century Team. Here’s a peek at three positions.
The Cowboys have been responsible for fielding plenty of exciting teams over the last 25 seasons. That’s why we’re going to dig through Dallas’ last two-and-a-half decades and build their All-Quarter 21st Century team. Enjoy the trip down memory lane.
Quarterback (2)
Tony Romo
Dak Prescott
Tony Romo leads off this list as the Cowboys’ all-time passing yards (34,183) and passing touchdowns (248) leader. He captivated Dallas’ fans with artistic footwork in the pocket before uncorking deep shots downfield like the play below against three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt and the Houston Texans. Watt beat eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith off the line of scrimmage, and Romo somehow spun out of his clutches to deliver a 43-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Terrance Williams in Week 5 of the 2014 season.
Running back (4)
Ezekiel Elliott
DeMarco Murray
Marion Barber III
Tony Pollard
Like Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott dominated as a rookie in 2016. He produced the only first-team All-Pro selection of his career as a rookie, leading the NFL in yards rushing (1,631), rushing yards per game (108.7) and carries (322). His 15 rushing touchdowns ranked as the third-most in the league. Elliott led the NFL in rushing yards per game in each of his first three seasons and in total rushing yards twice in his first three years (2016 and 2018). His production dipped in the 2020’s, but he is far and away the best Cowboys running back of the 21st century. Elliott ranks third all-time in Cowboys history in both yards rushing (8,488) and rushing touchdowns (71), trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett in both categories.
Special teams (4)
Dan Bailey (kicker)
Mat McBriar (punter)
L.P. Ladouceur (long snapper)
KaVontae Turpin (returner)
Brandon Aubrey (kicker)
Dan Bailey is Dallas’ all-time made field goals leader with 186 makes in seven seasons from 2011 to 2017 while hitting them at an 88.2% rate, the second-best percentage in team history among those with at least 15 field goal attempts.
Current Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey’s 89.4% field goal percentage (76-85) is the best in team history, minimum 15 field goal attempts. Aubrey has been named either the first team (2023) or second team (2024) All-Pro kicker in each of his first two NFL seasons. He led the NFL with 36 made field goals in Year 1 after making his first 35 to start his career — an NFL record. Aubrey’s kicking range and endurance is prolific: he is also the first kicker in NFL history to make at least 10 field goals of 50 yards or deeper in consecutive seasons. Punter Mat McBriar’s 202 punts downed inside the 20 are the most by a Cowboys punter this century across his eight seasons in Dallas (2004-2011).
Long snapper L.P. Ladouceur worked as the Cowboys’ long snapper for the vast majority of the century, playing 16 seasons, and he earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2014.
Donovan Ezeiruaku aims to shatter Cowboys’ second-round curse with his All-American prowess – Diogo Branco, MotorcycleSports.com
Ezeiruaku hopes to make an impact from the jump.
In a bold move during the NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Donovan Ezeiruaku, an edge rusher from Boston College, in the second round. This decision resonated positively among fans and analysts alike, with many viewing Ezeiruaku as a hidden gem, potentially deserving of a first-round selection. The Cowboys’ acquisition at No. 44 is being hailed as a significant coup, especially given the player’s impressive collegiate track record.
However, the excitement surrounding Ezeiruaku comes with a caveat: the Cowboys have a storied history of struggling with their second-round picks. This trend has raised questions about whether Ezeiruaku can defy the odds. The franchise’s past failures in this round loom large, creating a narrative that the young athlete must navigate as he embarks on his professional career. RJ Ochoa, a keen observer of the team’s drafting history, has highlighted this ongoing dilemma, prompting fans to wonder if Ezeiruaku might be the exception to the rule.
