
Dallas Cowboys enter a pivotal offseason with urgent questions at cornerback and edge rusher. With free agency looming and trade buzz intensifying, Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool examine whether Dallas should prioritize defensive backs or an elite pass rusher with their first-round picks. As the team weighs options like Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs at linebacker and safety, the debate centers on following the playoff blueprint of teams like the Patriots and Broncos—or setting a new course by investing in secondary versus defensive line.
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Marcus Moser
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Marcus Moser
The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of needs. We'll tell you how we'd like to see them address them next. You are Locked on Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day. Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day. We'd like to thank you for making us the number one sports podcast network. I am your host, Marcus Moser. He is Landon McCool. And on today's show, we're taking a look at the Cowboys six biggest needs going into the 2026 off season because believe it or not, we're like less than two months away from free agency. We're going to get trades that are going to start happening here in a little bit. We got east west shrine practices later in the week. So like we're getting into the off season. I know we don't have the defensive coordinator. We'll get there. But Lane, I want to start on defense and it seems like their two biggest needs are edge rusher and cornerback. If you had to stack those needs, how would you put them?
Landon McCool
Well, they're very different kind of needs, right? Like that's, that's the thing is that it's not like as clean as, as you know, if you have one or the other to add talent to. It's like cornerback. It feels like you need numbers, right? Like you, you feels like you need to at least kind of starting level corner corners this offseason probably to feel comfortable about what you've got coming into 20, 26, I think at edge, if you got yourself one super talented defensive end, you could, you could, you could, you could squint and look, look at that defensive line and go, okay, that's, that's a good start. But I think a corner, you know, you know, like the, it's, it's like I don't want to spend my 12th overall pick necessarily. We'll talk about that, but I don't know if I need to like rush out and spend on one big corner for a whole bunch of money. But I do agree that we need to spend a lot of money at corner because I think we need multiple bodies that are at least, you know, of a certain quality.
Marcus Moser
And I know this is a terrible way to judge positions, but if you had to play a game right now, you can get by with Donovan as a raku and James Houston as your defensive end. You could play more Kenny Clark as an edge rusher, you could play Solomon Thomas over there. Like you have ways to fix that position. Corner. I don't know if you can say the same. Like you've got Duron Bland coming off a major, major foot injury. You get Savon Ravel who had a really up and down rookie season. You got Kaylin Carson who was a healthy scratch at, you know, several points in the season. And that's kind of it. In the cornerback room, that's terrifying because you need at least three guys that you feel good about and right now you don't have one. Outside of Bland who's banged up, I think it's corner, but I don't think that necessarily means that you have to go out and draft a corner at 12. You're right. They need, they need bodies more so than like an elite number one guy.
Landon McCool
Yeah. And, and I think that this is also something that has been talked about like if you could solve in conjunction with. This is a position that specifically feel like it will have. The need will be influenced by who your defensive coordinator is. Right. Because it's going to be about fitting scheme and, and, and those types of scheme specific corners can be either really expensive and really hard to find or, or cheap and easy to find depending on who your defense coordinator is. But if you're able to solve coverage, you're still going to need multiple bodies. The question is how expensive those multiple bodies are going to be. You know, specifically how much, you know, man coverage are you going to need to play. And if so, like, it's going to be tough to kind of fill all those needs. You're going to need to be a heavy, heavy player if, if you go, if you don't, if you need to go out and get just kind of more scheme specific, you know, older veteran guys who are savvy and zone who can play, you know, some press and man and in some, in some situations that you need them to, maybe that's a little bit, you know, cheaper than, than, than going out and having to get the top end, you know, cover guys that are, that are man coverage experts.
Marcus Moser
So I'm assuming you would rather see the Cowboys use free agency and, or trades to address their cornerback situation. Maybe you draft numbers on day three in the draft, but use that first round pick or one of the first round picks on a pass rusher.
Landon McCool
Yeah, I mean, I think that that's the beauty of having two of these first round picks is that I, I think it gives you options here. I, I think that, you know, if you wanted to go out and sign or trade for, for a veteran cornerback and then go and draft, still draft another corner, I think that makes sense. If you want to try to, you know, sign two veteran guys and then try to cobble together a trio from what you've got, plus another two guys that you get on the, the free agent market, that makes some sense as well. And, and then like, yeah, then if it becomes about, well, what are you doing with that other pick? But I, I think this all is kind of being fed into understanding what, what the cornerback, you know, draft class looks like and that there's some question marks at the top end, guys, you know, such that, such that I just wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket necessarily. Like I feel like it's probably safer to do at say defensive end or taking maybe the very best linebacker that's, you know, in the draft, potentially, you know, high at 12.
Marcus Moser
One of the questions I had for you is you look at the final four teams remaining in the postseason and how much do you try to copy how they've built their teams? I know you don't always want to be chasing everybody, but you're looking at like the Broncos who spent a top 10 pick on Patrick Zan. Christian Gonzalez was a top 10 rated player. He actually fell a little bit in the first round of that draft. Devin Witherspoon, I think was the fifth overall pick in his draft. You've got, you know, all these teams that have awesome, awesome secondaries. Or do you use your first round picks on players like, you know, defensive ends that could have more of a snap to snap impact. It can. We know that defensive ends can be more impactful season over season. They're more consistent. Is that the way you spend your resources? I. It's, it's. This is what makes the NFL fun is team building is not a, you know, it's not one end all be all doing something the same way every single time. It's. It's unique.
Landon McCool
Well, and it's draft specific too. I think that's the thing that we've been trying to, you know, harp on every year is that you can get kind of stuck in these maxims and assume that they're always going to be true. But just in the same way that the game is changing in the NFL, so should your evaluation and your in your thoughts on T building. So I think that, you know, you have to account for the fact that this cornerback class this year is not. Doesn't have a ton of clear cut guys at the top that don't have some sort of wart and specifically don't seem to match necessarily what your front office is comfortable with drafting with. You know, at like it's a lot of guys that are going to be under 6 foot that may have a lot of production but may not have a lot of arm length. So the question will become like, do you want to draft outside of your comfort zone, especially so high, or do you want to draft maybe a guy potentially coming off of an injury? These are all questions that we're going to dive into as the season goes into, but that factors into the equation. It's. So it's not just as clean as like, is it safer necessarily to draft an edge versus, you know, hypothetically a cornerback? I think the answer changes based on the actual inventory available in that individual draft class.
Marcus Moser
I could see it both ways too. Like, because you're right, I think the defensive end talent is way better in the first round of this draft. But there's also a part of me that feels like you've already invested so many draft picks and so much money to your defensive line, maybe it's time to start reinvesting some of those picks to your secondary. But again, you got to know that cornerbacks take some time to develop and if the goal is to be super competitive in 2026 and 2027, maybe you are better off going out and getting an edge rusher so we can go back and forth. I think the thing that's pretty clear is these are their top two needs. I don't think they're going to be able to solve both of them in the draft. I think they're going to have to pick one avenue in free agency and one in the draft, and I'm fascinated to see how they do it.
Landon McCool
I think they may have to use both for, for one position. Right. Like, I could see a world where maybe they, they feel comfortable with, with the, with the, the Tennessee Cornerback. Was it McCoy? I think not. Not Cole. Yeah. Like, you know, maybe they feel comfortable with, with his, his knee situation and, and, and the timing is actually okay with the 2026 season and they go out and get a veteran corner in the free agent market and they draft him at 12 and they hope that he's ready to kind of come in and contribute right away. I mean, and then maybe they saved, you know, 20 for their linebacker defensive end. They could attack this a lot of different ways. And again, I think a lot of it's going to be depending on exactly what kind of scheme that the defense coordinator is bringing, but I also think it's going to be dictated by the kind of players that are available because there definitely seems to be more defensive ends available in the spots the Cowboys are picking than the necessarily cornerbacks.
Marcus Moser
All right, let's talk about the next biggest need for the Cowboys, and that's right in the middle of their defense. Is it linebacker? Is it safety? Is it both? Yes. We'll get to that next. This episode is brought to you by Indeed. If you've ever hired someone who looked good on paper but wasn't the right fit, you know how important that is when you want candidates who truly match what you're looking for. Trust Indeed. Sponsored Jobs Hiring Indeed is all you need. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other sites Indeed's Sponsored Jobs. Put your post at the top of the page and help you reach the right candidates faster. If I ever needed to hire someone for the show, I would go straight to Indeed and be very specific about what I need with real experience and not just some random buzzwords to try to get eyeballs on your post. Spend more time interviewing candidates who who check all of the boxes with less stress, less time, and more results using Indeed Sponsored Jobs and listeners of this show. Get a $75 sponsored job credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves@inn Indeed.com lot NFL just go to Indeed.com lot NFL right now and support the show by saying that you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring do it the Right Way with Indeed. This episode is brought to you by fanduel fanduel is officially in playoff mode. And every game day during the NFL playoffs, FanDuel is giving customers even more ways to get in on the action. Because right now, every NFL playoff game day, FanDuel users get a profit boost package waiting for them inside the app. In each game day, you're going to see a pack loaded with multiple profit boosts that you can apply to the bets that you like the most. Like for me, I love the Patriots this weekend. I just, I don't see how the Broncos are going to score. I think the Patriots are going to win and they're going to cover that spread. And now you can use your profit boost to go after an even bigger payout while the playoffs continue to roll on. So visit FanDuel, the official sportsbook partner of the NFL and and grab your profit boost pack every NFL playoff game day. Welcome back to the Lock On Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. If you haven't done so already, check out the new everyday club. You're going to get access to ad free audio of the Lock On Cowboys podcast compatible with Apple Podcasts, Spotify and every other major podcast app. Go to lockedon cowboys supercast.com or tap the link in the show notes to learn more. All right, let's talk about the the next spot that we're going to try to figure out how the Cowboys are going to fix and that's linebacker and safety. So your current situation at safety is you've got Malik Hooker on a one year deal. Donovan Wilson is on an expiring contract. Marquis Bell I believe is a free agent. Wanye Thomas is on the roster and that's about it at safety. And then over at linebacker, it's the Marvi and Overshone. On the last year of his contract, you've got Shamar James and Maris, Lia Fowl, but none of those guys outside of overshown, you feel great about which one is the bigger need going into.
Landon McCool
20, 26, man, it's, it's, it's interesting question, right? Because I think linebacker has to be a spot where you need to improve right away. And so I think that if I were given an opportunity like, you know, if Caleb Downs is staring us in the face at 12, then I'm not going to pass on an opportunity to improve safety. But I feel like safety is still a position in which the NFL just doesn't value it the way that I think a lot of us do and a lot of evaluators do. So I just feel like there's going to be, it's going to be more difficult if you wait longer at linebacker. And it's such a position that kind of is so indicative of really great defenses have good linebacker course. So you need to find a way to improve that position. Safety. You know, look, I, I think it's, you see all the time, it feels like you see these teams that find a way to improve their safety rooms late in the process. Certainly you get more windows of those kind of players. So if, if I'm running out of picks, if I'm running out of resources versus, you know, spots that I need to fix, I think safety is one that I'm not afraid to kind of kick down the road a little bit, maybe with another one of these positions that we'll talk about just because I feel like it's, it's a resource that can be obtained at almost any part of the process.
Marcus Moser
And again, if you're comparing it to the four teams left in the playoffs, it's not the best linebacker group like the Patriots are starting. Robert Spillane, who is a very poor athlete who's in his 30s right now. He's their leading tackler. The Broncos signed Dre Greenlaw this offseason, but he's hardly played. The Seahawks have, I believe it's Ernest Jones as their top linebacker. And the Rams have played a million different linebackers and their top guy is Nate Landman. Like, it's not, it's not a great linebacker situation. But at the same time, having awesome linebackers can cover up so many wards. And it does feel like with all the investments the Cowboys have made into their defensive tackle room with Quinn and Williams, with OSA De Gazella, with Kenny Clark and even some of the down roster guys, it feels like for the first time they could really benefit from having a heat seeking missile at linebacker or a guy that can fly sideline to sideline. Because the issue was before Atlanta, these guys would get blocked five, six, seven yards down the field and that would, you know, they kind of mitigated some of their success. I don't think that's an issue anymore. So if you can find the guy that can actually cover and can run a little bit, I do think that's the fastest way to getting this defense back to being a competent unit.
Landon McCool
Well, yeah, because, I mean, it's a real cheat code to making your defense better quickly. I mean, just think about the splits. I mean, I mean, you think if we think about overshot. But think about Sean Lee. Like I Mean, the fact that Sean Lee was having such an impact the way he was when he was on the game versus when he was in the game versus out of the game wasn't just a, a testament to Sean Lee and how great he is. It's. It's also a testament that linebacker is a position that you notice when, when there's really good linebacker play on the field or not. So, you know, I, I think, you know, it's, it's easy for us to kind of, it's a, it's almost like running back in a lot of, in that way as well. Right. Maybe more so. Right. Because I think there may be a ceiling there. But I think with linebacker, it's like if you've got a guy who doesn't, who's very really balanced, he can play the ball in pass and run and is just a wrecking ball, someone that you don't want to face as an offense, it has a noticeable impact on how offenses play you and how well your defense is able to play. So, yeah, I think, you know, and that's why, you know, Overshone had such an impact when he's healthy. So I'm hoping that with the healthy overshown and if you can make one more investment here, you can make your front seven of a situation where at least maybe now you've got a positive situation. And then again, like if you're just kind of duct taping the back end of this defense a little bit with, with scheme and with free agents, then I think it will help to have a really quality two way player in the middle of this defense to kind of help make sure that all that tape stays where it needs to be in the coverage situation.
Marcus Moser
And as somebody who used to own the domain, linebackers don't matter. I've actually shifted my opinion on this a little bit and I think for the Cowboys. Yeah, we're, we're judging everything really for the Cowboys over the next two or three years. Right. Because that's, it's the end of the Deck Prescott window. You're in the prime of CD Lamb and George Pickens's career. You've got every offensive lineman under contract for the next, what, two seasons at least. So you want to try to win now.
Landon McCool
Yeah.
Marcus Moser
And you just see when you're going up against these really good offenses and in the nfc, you've got so many awesome play callers between Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVeigh and Ben Johnson and the list keeps going on and on. You need these linebackers that can't get exposed in coverage because if you've got guys that can't move or can't cover or can't stop the run, the good coordinators are just going to pick them apart. And, and we saw that with the Cowboys this year. So if a guy like Sunny Styles is available at 12, I know like in previous years, that's not the most valuable position, but I'm perfectly fine with that pick if the Cowboys ultimately go in that direction.
Landon McCool
Yeah. And, and I think, you know, they're tone setters too. Right. And that's kind of a little bit more of what you need is more of these physical tone setters that kind of becomes a contagious thing throughout your defense. So. And again, Caleb Downs falls into that category as well. So it is player specific. But yeah, I'm not ruling out those kind of what's considered to be lesser valuable players simply because they play those positions because I think this is a year where shortened windows are okay because of what we're talking about. Like you said, like what Dax situation. Go get those linebackers, go get those safeties if they're going to help you right away, maybe they don't get the long term return because that's not what we're looking for right now.
Marcus Moser
I think I would like to see the Cowboys use the draft to upgrade the linebacker position and use free agency to get safeties because I do think safety is a position that you can have a guy that loses a step athletically but can still be an impactful player. Even at age 29, 30, 31. Good linebackers just aren't becoming available in free agency. The ones that are like Bobby Wagner, who are like 34, 35, 36 years old, who can't run anymore and even the, the guys that get paid, like Robert Spillane with the Patriots, you know, that's a guy that's bounced around, that really struggles in man and zone coverage and you're just putting him out there hoping that he's not the weakest unit on your defense. I if you can get a real game breaker at linebacker in the draft and piece together the safety room and free agency, I think that's the quickest way to get this defense back to an acceptable level.
Landon McCool
Yeah, I mean, look, it's, it's a lot easier to play a lot of shell coverage if you've got two insanely fast linebackers in a fully healthy, overshone and you know, like you said, Sonny Styles or someone like that playing linebacker, C.J. allen next to him. Right. Like flying around and making tackles.
Marcus Moser
So the other thing is you don't really need numbers at the linebacker position. You just need like a, a dude. Right. We would feel so much better if you added a star to the linebacker room. And, and it's overshone and styles, let's name him. And then Leo, Fowl and James are the backups. Whereas at safety, I mean, you're going to be, you're going to be using a lot of different safeties. Hooker's on a one year deal. You're going to be probably replacing him either this, this offseason or next offseason. I just think that's the better way to go.
Landon McCool
Yeah, absolutely. It makes, it just makes sense that way.
Marcus Moser
All right, let's talk about the offensive side of the ball. I know they don't have very many needs, but there are a couple of positions that could use some help. We'll get to that next. This episode is brought to you by Robinhood. What if sports were traded like markets? Now you can put your sports IQ to work in real time with Robinhood Prediction Markets. It's not you against the house, it's you participating in a live market. You can buy or sell your positions live all game long. Use your sports knowledge in the moments that matter. And Robinhood Prediction Markets changes the game. It's people moving the action so when the momentum shifts, you can move with it. I always knew the game, but I never had a dynamic way to apply that knowledge. Now I can actually take part. Live. In a market powered by people, you're no longer just a spectator. Play by play, you decide the trade. Every play with Robinhood now available across the U.S. download the Robinhood app now to begin futures and cleared swaps. Trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives llc, a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm. This episode is brought to you by Drip Drop. Kicking off the year. Feeling good is always the goal, right? And honestly, I Hydration is the easiest win when I stay on top of it. My energy, my focus and my mood are all up. But let's be real, plain water just doesn't always cut it. Especially when you're trying to grind through those long days, hitting the gym, or just trying to stay consistent with your health goals. But that's where Drip drop comes in. Dr. Developed proven fast hydration that helps your body and mind work together. Think clear focus, better energy, elevated mood, and even that fresh skin glow. I've been using Drip Drop as part of my daily routine. And honestly, it's an absolute game changer. Not just for workouts, but every single day. I have it right in the morning and it fuels my mornings as I get ready to do this podcast. And right now, Drip Drop is offering podcast listeners 20% off. Your first order. Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code lot NFL that is drip drop.com promo code lockdown NFL for 20% off. Stock up now at drip drop.com and use promo code locked on NFL welcome back to the Lockdown Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. All right, Lee, let's talk about the offensive tackle spot and the running back spot because both have questions going into the off season. Javante Williams is a free agent. The only running backs on your roster right now are Jaden Blue and Phil Mafa. Whereas at tackle, you've got Tyler Guyton, who has struggled to stay healthy, you've got Terence Steele, who's got a big contract decision coming up this offseason, you've got Nate Thomas. And oh, by the way, you've got Tyler Smith, who could potentially kick out there, who doesn't sound like he wants to do that. But if it was up to you, which position would you like to see them be more aggressive in addressing this off season?
Landon McCool
I think aggressive, it depends, right? Like, to me, I guess the answer is probably running back, but. But only in the sense that, like, I think that they should make a plan to either resign Javante Williams and then go get another guy as well, just to kind of, you know, be covering their bases for the all the touches that they're planning on giving the running back position. Because I think, you know, like, one of the things we talked about, we need this team to be a little bit tougher. And I think consistently running the football and being efficient in running the football are two very important things if you want to maintain that sort of attitude throughout the season and be successful doing it. Right. Because I think even back, if you go back to like, even the 2012 season of those years with DeMarco Murray, like, it was, it was such a huge part of our identity. But by the end of the season, we couldn't run the football as efficiently as we were earlier in the season. So we were having to throw the football more, which invited more issues. And that's why, you know, we, we got some of the results that I feel like we did. So I think that that's a key part is if you're going to go get running back, if you're going to invest in Javante Williams. You've got to have enough in the, the rest of the running back room to maintain it throughout the year. And I think for tackle, like you've invested so much already at the position. You, you still have. Cornelius still is still as well. Yeah, you still, you still have Nate Thomas to kind of still fully unfold to give him an offseason to get better. To me, I think you, you have to figure out what, what the situation is with Terence Steele. I thought he played better football this year than maybe the, the several last few, few years. But I also think that the number that he's got is, is pretty serious. So you either need to figure out that contract situation and bring him back and, and then see if you can get, you know, one more year with Terrence Steele to figure out what's going on with Nate Thomas or Cornelius to catch up. Because I, I just don't feel like, you know, maybe unless you want to go out and do something in free agency really cheaply, I just don't feel like you can afford to kind of spend any more draft picks at the position at this point. You kind of have to see what you've got in the guys that you've got. And that's why you went out and got guys like Clayton Adams and Connor Riley is to kind of help. They'll bring these guys along a little bit.
Marcus Moser
It doesn't feel like they really need numbers at the tackle position. If you're going to add somebody, you might as well add somebody early. That can start right away and be a long term solution. But we talked about this already this offseason. They've invested so many resources into that unit. They've got to start investing them in defense and just figure out the offensive line. They've got talent on that group. It's not a huge hole. Figure it out and move forward on offense. And for running back, it's, I feel very good that they're going to get acceptable running back play. Whether that's from Javante Williams, whether that's from Rico Dowdle, who you resign, or James Connor, who you bring in. Like there's going to be plenty of names out there that can give you acceptable running back play. It's just how, how many guys are out there that can be better than that, that can actually add value to your offense? And is it worth the cost of getting them? Is it worth spending the 12th overall pick on Jeremiah Love? Is it worth paying Breeze Hall $15 million a year or Kenneth Walker $15 million a year. You guys know my answer. I'm curious to see what the Cowboys do.
Landon McCool
Yeah. And I think it's about having enough bodies to carry the touches and then having enough, you know, dynamic aspects of, of your, of your running back room to make it interesting. Right. Like, I think that the one thing that you liked about Javante Williams is that he provided a bunch of big plays at times. He was able to break some big log runs and do some things. I don't know that I would necessarily continue, expect that, that to continue in the long term. That's, you know, I think that you, you, you should be leaning towards looking for more Jaden Blues. And I think Blue showed you a couple of good things that the end of the year, maybe another off season of kind of maturing a little bit puts him in a position to take more of these carries and whether that's Phil Mafa just kind of taking a more pronounced role, maybe taking, making, taking on that third running back role, being a more of a special teams guy. And then they cobble it together with Lipke and, and, and Mafa and Blue, you know, they just give these guys all more touches. That's a solution as well. But they need to have some sort of plan either, you know, with the guys they have in house or to make an investment just to make sure that you're not overworking that position because you want it to work well at the end of the year where you need it the most.
Marcus Moser
All right, that is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making Laton Cowboys your first listen every single day. Make sure you subscribe and follow the podcast so you get all of the latest episodes. And if you never miss an episode, the everyday club is built for you. Get locked on Cowboys ad free members only, discord access and so much more. Head over to lockon cowboys supercast.com to join the club. And for those of you on video, we can send you the first ever 24.7national NBA YouTube channel and on audio make your second listen the lock on NFL podcast. I am your host Marcus Moer. Follow me on Twitter at Marcus Moer. He is Landon McCool. Check him out at McCool BCB and we'll see you guys right back here tomorrow.
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In this episode, Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool dive deep into the Dallas Cowboys' six major roster needs entering the 2026 offseason, with a sharp focus on whether the team should prioritize edge rusher or cornerback for lasting defensive success. They weigh the Cowboys’ current personnel, impending free agency, draft opportunities, and the wider context of successful NFL teams' roster construction. The conversation later broadens to address linebacker, safety, offensive tackle, and running back, always through the lens of maximizing the team’s current Super Bowl window.
Landon: "If you want to try to, you know, sign two veteran guys and then try to cobble together a trio from what you've got, plus another two guys that you get in the free agent market, that makes some sense as well." (06:30)
Marcus: "You have to account for the fact that this cornerback class this year...doesn’t have a ton of clear cut guys at the top." (08:24)
Landon: “Linebacker has to be a spot where you need to improve right away...it’s such a position that is indicative of really great defenses.” (14:52)
Safeties can be patched together later or via street free agency due to the NFL’s general devaluation of the position.
Marcus notes that current elite NFL teams have gotten by with mediocre linebackers, but having a difference-maker there speeds up defensive growth:
Marcus: “Having awesome linebackers can cover up so many wards...If you can find the guy that can actually cover and can run a little bit, I do think that's the fastest way to getting this defense back to being a competent unit.” (16:33)
Landon: "They're tone setters too. Right. And that's...what you need...it becomes a contagious thing throughout your defense." (20:15)
The depth at tackle is “acceptable” with Tyler Guyton, Terence Steele (contract question), and Nate Thomas on roster plus Tyler Smith as contingency—though Smith prefers to stay inside.
Landon: “You kind of have to see what you’ve got in the guys that you’ve got.” (27:42)
Further draft investment is unlikely; development from within is prioritized. Unless a clear, affordable FA starter becomes available, the line stays mostly as-is.
Landon: “I think that you should be leaning towards more Jaden Blues...maybe another off-season of kind of maturing a little bit puts him in a position to take more of these carries.” (29:42)
The podcast maintained a conversational, analytical, and practical tone throughout, with both hosts leveraging detailed roster knowledge and NFL trends, while occasionally adding dry humor and fan-focused urgency as they weigh short-term “win now” moves against long-term stability.
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