SHOPPING: Should The Dallas Cowboys Sign Another Linebacker? | Latest Cowboys Updates!

Summary

Locked On Cowboys Podcast Summary

Episode: SHOPPING: Should The Dallas Cowboys Sign Another Linebacker? | Latest Cowboys Updates!

Date: April 30, 2026
Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on key Dallas Cowboys offseason issues, with a primary focus on whether the team should sign another linebacker before training camp. The hosts answer fan questions about the linebacker situation, the recent draft decisions—especially at running back—and provide updates on the George Pickens contract saga. The analysis leans on roster construction, player injury concerns, and the team’s strategy as they prepare for the 2026 season.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Should the Cowboys Sign Another Linebacker?

Segment Timestamps: 01:11 – 09:21

• State of the Linebacker Room

  • The Cowboys have young, mostly unproven linebackers: Dee Winters (recent trade), DeMarvion Overshown (injury issues), Jayson Barham (will play off-ball), and Shemar James.
  • Both hosts agree: The room lacks veteran depth and stability.

• Injury & Contract Concerns

  • Overshown “has not been able to stay healthy”—he’s counted as only a “half name” due to injury history (03:08, McCool).
  • Winters and Overshown are in contract years, meaning there’s little long-term security (04:21, Mosher).

• Potential Veteran Targets

  • Marcus notes he’d support adding a “heavy part of a rotation, average starting linebacker” or potentially a top-tier veteran like Jordan Brooks, if possible (02:04, Mosher).
  • Landon lists stopgap veterans like Jermaine Pratt and Elandon Roberts as viable one-year rentals (05:30, McCool).
  • The likely strategy is to wait through minicamps/OTAs, evaluate the young players, then reassess the need for a veteran before training camp.

    “They just want to give all those guys as many reps as possible to prove that they can’t play the position before they go out and spend more money on a veteran.” (05:30, McCool)

• Special Teams & Roster Crunch

  • The fifth linebacker spot is likely “a special teamer” (08:23, McCool).
  • Only four or five off-ball linebackers will be kept, so final roster spots will be tight and contribute mainly on special teams.

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2. George Pickens Franchise Tag & Future in Dallas

Segment Timestamps: 11:09 – 20:47

• Signing the Franchise Tag—What Does It Mean?
  • Mosher says, “I kind of feel like it doesn’t change a lot.” Signing the tag shows commitment to the process, though Pickens has missed OTAs (11:46).
  • The Cowboys are not interested in trading him. The situation is status quo: Pickens is likely to play on the tag in 2026.
• Lack of Trade Market
  • Landon explains that after the draft, teams are “hoarding picks.” No one was offering first-rounders for Pickens’ rights (13:10, McCool).
• Best Interests Aligned
  • All sides benefit: Cowboys want production and less drama; Pickens needs to reestablish value; agent David Mulugheta benefits most if Pickens is a pro all year (14:37, Mosher).

    “If he does everything that he’s supposed to do this year… I really struggle to see where he doesn’t get a $40 million contract.” (15:38, Mosher)

• Professionalism & Contract Lessons
  • The Cowboys want to see Pickens prove himself as a professional, not just as a player. Reference is made to the lessons from previous big contracts (Dak, Zeke, Parsons) and the need for growth before committing long-term (17:30–19:56).
  • “When the Cowboys are giving somebody that kind of money, they want to know that they can trust him.” (17:30, McCool)

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3. The Running Back Situation after the 2026 Draft

Segment Timestamps: 22:15 – 29:06

• No Drafted Running Backs—What’s the Plan?
  • The Cowboys did not draft a RB in a “bad class” (22:46, McCool).
  • Confidence in Phil Mafah (redshirted rookie) and existing young runner Jaden Blue.

    “We have heard people talking about them really liking Phil Mafah. So I do think he does figure into these plans a little bit.” (22:47, Mosher)

  • Both hosts emphasize that if Blue does not step up as the dynamic, change-of-pace back, “then they’re not on the roster” (23:39, Mosher).
• Depth & Development
  • Phil Mafah could provide carries behind starter Williams, but isn’t viewed as the “dynamic” big-play threat—hopes remain on Blue for that spark (26:17, Mosher).
  • Landon highlights that year two is typically when young backs make their leap; Blue’s development is key, but his ball security and consistency must improve.

    “He basically got benched for the last two months of the season… but it’s a huge opportunity for him.” (27:14, McCool)

• Free Agent Options Remain
  • Running back, like linebacker, is a spot where you can “always go out and get somebody” if necessary (23:55, Mosher).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Linebacker Uncertainty:
  “If I wanted to feel really solid about this linebacker group, I would definitely feel… go out and get one more guy.” (02:04, Mosher)

• On Using Minicamps Before Shopping:
  “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cowboys want to get through minicamps… and then early in July, before training camp kicks off, they kind of reevaluate the roster.” (05:30, McCool)

• On the Franchise Tag Reality:
  “Honestly, I think I am still under the… impression that I think this is going to be a situation where he’s going to play underneath the tag this year.” (11:46, Mosher)

• On Needing Reliable Veterans:
  “When the Cowboys are giving somebody that kind of money, they want to know that they can trust him.” (17:30, McCool)

• On Roster Building Caution:
  “If the Cowboys have one fatal flaw… as a front office is that they tend to over correct from their mistakes when they make mistakes.” (20:03, Mosher)

• On Jaden Blue’s Second-Year Jump:
  “The trajectory looks good… it does sound like his head was in the right place by the end of the season… maybe this is all a moot point.” (27:52–29:06, Mosher)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Linebacker Room Discussion: 01:11–09:21
• Pickens Franchise Tag Update: 11:09–20:47
• 2026 Running Back Analysis: 22:15–29:06

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Tone & Takeaways

• Insightful, pragmatic, and occasionally cautious tone—reflecting a front office trying to balance optimism about youth and realistic roster construction.
• Both hosts agree the Cowboys are likely to evaluate internally through minicamps/OTAs before making further veteran moves at linebacker or running back.
• The Pickens contract situation is viewed as resolved (for now); all parties are incentivized for a drama-free, productive year.
• Running back depth and a need for “dynamic” playmaking behind Williams remains an open question, hinging on Jaden Blue’s growth.

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This episode is essential listening for fans curious about the Cowboys’ offseason approach to both depth and star power, showcasing the careful balancing act at the heart of their 2026 roster-building strategy.

Transcript

[Marcus Mosher]

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[Landon McCool]

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[Landon McCool]

The Dallas Cowboys shouldn't be done shopping at linebacker. We'll tell you why next. You are Locked on Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network your team every day. Welcome back. I'm your host Marcus Mosher. He is Landon McCool and on today's show we are answering your Twitter questions, including why didn't the Cowboys draft the running back at all last week? We'll give an update on the George Pickens situation. But Landon, I want to start with this question from Perez. He wants to know is the linebacker room and I'm assuming he means off ball linebacker room solidified. Which veterans would you like to bring in and should they continue to shop at the position? Your thoughts?

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah, I mean we kind of touched on this on a bonus episode not too long ago, but I think it's a, it's a good question. I mean I feel like if I wanted to feel really solid about this linebacker group, I would definitely feel go out and get one more guy. And honestly it doesn't necessarily have to be a topper to the, to this group. It doesn't necessarily need to be the linebacker one for this group or two, if you wanted to go out and get a Jordan Brooks post draft, I wouldn't be mad about it. Yeah. But I also think that if you wanted to just go out and get another guy who you feel like could be a heavy part of a rotation, average starting linebacker, if you will I, I think that that would also be valuable just simply to have another body in the rotation of these linebackers. It feels like you probably have, you know, three guys that you feel decent about. It would be nice to maybe add a fourth in there just to kind of feel comfortable with, with a heavy rotation that you're probably going to see at the linebacker position.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, and let's go through that really quickly. They traded for Dee Winters. I would fully expect him to be one of the starting linebackers. Now you have the Marvi and Overshone and, and then you have Jayson Barham who is going to play off ball linebacker, but it's also going to be, I think used a little bit differently to those other two guys in the room. You also have Shemar James. And while we like all four of those guys, Overshone has not been able to stay healthy, I mean really in his career at all. So that he, I almost count him as like a half name. And then Dee Winters has played a lot of snaps, but he was also battling an injury and, and you just don't want to put too much on the plate of a third round pick who's going to be playing multiple positions. They don't need to go out and make a huge move. I know there were some listeners that were wondering, should the Cowboys go after Jack Campbell after the Lions declined his fifth year option? It sounds like the Lions are going to give him a long term extension. But do I think they could use another guy like Dee Winters? Yeah, absolutely. I would feel so much better about the defense as a whole if they just found one more, not even starting linebacker Landon, but just like competent linebacker.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah, and, and I totally agree with that. I, I will just say that I also think it's not out of place if they wanted to go get their best linebacker right now, like someone like Jordan Brooks. Because here's the thing. D Winners and Overshown and Overshone as you mentioned, has been injured, you know, basically his whole career. D Winners and Overshones contracts expire after this year. So there's really nothing tying you beyond this year for your starting linebacker. So if you went out and got like a more top end guy, I don't think that Jack Campbell is available. But if, you know, if you wanted to go get a guy like that, I think it also could make some sense from where you are in the timeline of, of your roster and, and contracts and everything. So I do feel like it's a little bit wide open and, and look again like we like. Or at least I Like what I saw for the tape of winners enough that like you said, if they went and got a third guy, a linebacker, linebacker, three guy, I think that would do the trick. I think both of us agree that there is room to improve the room for sure. But beyond that, they at the very least need to add one more worthy body in the room.

[Landon McCool]

I just wonder if they feel, again, I'm not necessarily agreeing, but they feel like they went out and made their swing on D. Winters and now they're betting on the upside on Barum. Because I wouldn't be surprised if the Cowboys want to get through minicamps. They want to get through OTAs. And then early in July, before training camp kicks off, they kind of reevaluate the roster. And then they look at names like Jermaine Pratt and a Landon Roberts. You know, these, these veteran linebackers that are like in their late 20s, early 30s, that are one year rentals. You bring those guys in to be stop gaps. But I kind of believe that considering how young Winters overshone Barham and Shemar James are, they just want to give all those guys as many reps as possible to prove that they can't play the position before they go out and spend more money on a veteran.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah, that's usually the, the, the pattern, right, is that you, you don't necessarily sign folks right after the draft unless you have a strong need that you know that you need to fill. I do think I qualify this as they need to gauge what their need is. And I think the way that you gauge it is by seeing having them go through some minicamps and some OTAs, see how they perform and see what the unit looks like out on the field a little bit. And then that'll kind of dictate maybe what your spending level is or maybe what your need level is at the linebacker position.

[Landon McCool]

I did want to ask you about two more linebackers in this roster. Justin Baron, who was an undrafted free agent last year out of Syracuse, kind of on and off the roster, played a little bit at the end or. Sorry, I don't think he played. I think he was active at the end of the season. And then they also have Marisley Foul, who we heard that they moved to outside linebacker earlier this off season. You and I both kind of rolled our eyes at that because it just, it's just not a great fit for him. Considering that they drafted Barham, they drafted, you know, Malachi Lawrence. Is there any chance we see Leo moving back to off ball linebacker?

[Marcus Mosher]

I, I wouldn't be Shocked. You know, I mean, I do feel like, look, if, if you're looking for someone who could be an actual backup to the role that, that you're kind of assigning Barham, I do think that Leopold maybe is the, a better fit than that where you're playing predominantly linebacker but then walking down to, to kind of play a nine technique to, to present a five man front, you know, just to kind of give the offense a different look. Like I do feel like he could probably, he would probably be the best linebacker to do that. And I also just think that, you know, why are we starting over with this player at this point? Like I, I don't think that we're going to get any further or any higher on the rung of, of talent exposure by, by changing his position. I, I think it's probably going to end up more being a wash. So I would probably just keep him as off ball linebacker, inside linebacker or whatever we're calling it.

[Landon McCool]

Well, and we should be honest that that fifth linebacker, whether it's Baron, whether it's Leopold, whether it's Shamar James going down a spot, their primary goal is going to be to be a special teamer. And that's why I think like, you know, guys like Baron have a good shot to make the roster. And even Leofal, like Leopold's got plenty of special teams experience. If they go out and sign someone like a Landon Robertson, I would be shocked if one of these guys made the team. And you would probably see Shamar James playing more special team snaps. But it feels like they're going to only keep what, five off ball linebackers at most? Most likely four. And now you're getting into a pretty big numbers crunch here.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah, I mean, you know, the hope is, is that you've got some edge guys that maybe can come, you know, obviously that can run down on kickoffs or something like that. But even then, like yeah, you're gonna need your linebackers, at least a couple of your linebackers to be playing special teams. The body type requirements. So definitely something to keep in mind.

[Landon McCool]

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[Marcus Mosher]

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[Landon McCool]

Welcome back to the Lockdown Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. Don't forget to check out the Everydayer Club where you're going to get ad free episodes and access to a group chat with Landon and I and other listeners of the show. Just tap the link in the show notes or go to Lothon Cowboys to learn more. All right, lan, and this next question comes from Brent. He wants to know George Pickens officially, officially signed the franchise tag. What do you think this means for his status in Dallas?

[Marcus Mosher]

I kind of feel like it doesn't change a lot. I mean, I mean as well. Look, the, the announcement that he was going to sign it was, was important in the sense that it showed a commitment to kind of going through the process and in the least not being optimized. You know, Malcontent, he's, he's, he is like conceding some of this by going in and signing it when he did. He did miss the OTAs. I mean he did miss the uh, uh, the voluntary practices and I think he missed the workout again today, which is, you know, not surprising. But yeah, honestly I think I am still under the, you know, the impression that I think this is going to be a situation where he's going to play underneath the tag this year. Hopefully he has a great year and then we re examine this whole situation next year. I Haven't really seen anything that's kind of proved otherwise other than a bunch of tweeted out and then deleted tweets from ESPN personalities. So outside of, outside of the four letter networks who are, you know, kind of constantly just throwing stuff against the wall, I, I haven't really seen anything to me that indicates that, that the situation is going to change. Especially since the Joneses have now come out and said that they, they don't have any interest in trading him. You know, now that he signed his, his franchise tag, that's really the only other thing that could probably happen. But. And I don't think it's going to happen.

[Landon McCool]

So rewind back to March. The Cowboys put the non exclusive franchise tag on George Pickens. That, and that allowed him and David Malaguetta to go out and talk to other teams to seek a potential contract in which a team would have to give the Cowboys two first round picks or a deal that could be negotiated between the two sides. Right. And I just think now that we are past the draft, there was no team in the league that was going to give up a 2027 first round pick or 2028 first round pick. Like we know the difference in the 2026 draft compared to the 2027 draft. No team was going to give up capital. I think we only had three trades in the entire 2026 draft that involved 2027 Capital and one involved the Cowboys where they gave up a 2027 7th round pick. Like teams are just hoarding those picks and for good reasons. Right. So I, this is probably a concession from David Malliguetta and George Pickens. Like, okay, we know nobody's going to offer that deal, but if we sign the franchise tag now, yes, he's going to have to go to minicamp and training camp and all that kind of stuff. But it also opens each, opens up more trade opportunities if the Cowboys eventually want to do that. And the other part of it is land. And it just, I think it's good for all parties involved to like just start getting things done and start moving the ball here a little bit.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah, I think it's in the best interest of all three parties that are here. Right. And I'm counting the Pickens separate from Oligetta in some, some ways. Right. Like it's, it's beneficial to the Cowboys because of the obvious reasons. Right. And, and then also just to start to maybe mend that relationship with Mulligata a little bit. It's beneficial for, for Pickens because that's the best way for him to, you know, earn more value, to earn back the value that he should be at based on his production is to follow the process by the letter of the law and not be a malcontent. And I think for Mulligetta specifically, his way of making money is by picking, signing a big contract and by the, by having him sign the franchise tag, he's almost helping the Cowboys protect Pickens from himself. Right. Because if Pickens decided to do something wild or crazy, now he can be fined for it. So there's actual money on the line here. So maybe part of this is also just like, hey, this will help me kind of keep this guy on the leash so we can all earn more money next year. Right. It's just, you know, that's why, again, this is a different situation because it's the rare situation where all parties are truly aligned. Like they want. If they can get Pickens to sign the deal, which they did, and get him to come in and, you know, be a part of the mandatory stuff and be a part of making sure that he's having a good production season, that will also go a long way in, you know, countering the problem that has been actually depressing his value, which, which is the belief that he's a malcontent. He's a problem. He's a guy that I can't rely on, I can't trust. If he, if he does everything that he's, he's supposed to do this year, then, then, and then it goes out and produces like he did last year. I just, at that point I really struggled to see where he doesn't get a $40 million contract. I wouldn't feel way worse about putting the non exclusive tag on him next year if he was able to achieve all of that, because I do think people would come biting for it.

[Landon McCool]

Well, and let's be honest, if he goes out and has a huge year, let's say it's even a step back from last year. It's, it's 1400 yards and nine touchdowns and I know it's crazy.

[Marcus Mosher]

That's pretty ridiculous. That's a step back.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, but even. But, but I could see a world in which his numbers drop across the board.

[Marcus Mosher]

Sure.

[Landon McCool]

But he's more of a professional on and off the field. And again, it's. I'm not saying that he did anything terribly wrong, but there's been some rumblings that, you know, missed some meetings or late.

[Marcus Mosher]

He hasn't been perfect. He hasn't been perfect, you know, As a teammate.

[Landon McCool]

When the Cowboys want to pay or when the Cowboys are giving somebody that kind of money, they want to know that they can trust him. And honestly, I think. I think this is part of what happened with Michael Parsons is they felt like, hey, if we're giving this guy 45 million, we need him to be a leader on and off the field. I think that's what they want to see more from Pickens. Now, I don't think they're expecting him to be like a captain or anything like that, but they just want him to be more of a professional. If he does that, I think it is the Cowboys next year that give him a monster contract because that would be two years in a row with big time production, and he would only be 26 years old.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah. And I think, you know, that kind of reliability is a lot of what I think the Cowboys meant or, you know, were trying to convey when they were talking about Micah laying on the table. Right. And the issues there is that it was kind of endemic of the, The. The attitude and the approach there. And again, everyone knows that Pickens works really hard. Like, he's. That's why he's a really good one. Does Micah. Like, that's the thing is it's not that that's what's in question here. It's about the, you know, the kind of reliability, the day to day, the kind of mental state to consistently keep that up that I think gets called into question here and right or wrong. Right. Like, I think when you're paying somebody a lot of money like that, I. I just think that that factors into it more than, you know, paying them whatever a 5th round pick is, you know what I'm saying?

[Landon McCool]

Like, yeah, and I think Dak is a great example. Like, is Dak overpaid compared to the rest of the quarterbacks in the NFL? Probably right now. Is he still worth what the Cowboys are paying? I would argue yes. But one of the reasons why the Cowboys felt so comfortable giving Dak everything he asked for is they knew on and off the field he was going to take care of business. He was going to outwork everybody. He was going to show up on time for meetings. Like, there's nothing you needed to worry about there. I think if you go back to 2018, I think Zeke is the one that kind of burned them a little bit. They gave Zeke.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah.

[Landon McCool]

This monster contract. And it's not that Zeke wasn't performing really well. It's just. I don't know. And he. Zeke worked really hard, but I don't know if they ever felt like he became the professional at age 24. It's 25 that they were hoping and now I think they would rather see multiple years of growth before giving a guy a monster contract.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah. And I, I think, you know, in some ways that makes sense. I don't know that I would have applied that to Micah Parsons the way they did.

[Landon McCool]

I mean, neither.

[Marcus Mosher]

But, but I think, look, I think for most of the Cowboys mistakes you can find a specific instance in which the Cowboys were burned by doing the opposite thing previous to this. Right. And if the Cowboys have one fatal flaw really, or their biggest fatal flaw as a front office is that they tend to over correct from their mistakes when they make mistakes. So, you know, I'm hoping that that's, you know, they're kind of past that at this point and realizing that some of these guys are worth it. We'll see if Pickens can put together the kind of consistent season that he needs to earn that sort of contract. And if he does, I'm I actually not at all going to be surprised when the Cowboys sign him to a long term deal because I think they want him around.

[Landon McCool]

I think they want him around too. It's clear Dak Prescott wants him around. CD Lamb absolutely loves him. So everything is on the table for George Pickens. We'll see if he takes it. All right, let's talk about the running back position because the Cowboys did not draft a running back at all in the 2026 NFL Draft. What does that mean for Jaden Blue and Phil Mafa? We'll get to that next.

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[Marcus Mosher]

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[Landon McCool]

Welcome back to the Lockdown Cowboys podcast. We are answering your Twitter questions and this one comes from Zach. He wants to know what are your guys thoughts on the RB2 spot. Are we still hoping that Jane Blue takes a leap after not drafting a running back at all this year? What are your thoughts?

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah, I mean, I, I really thought that they would, they would have ended up with a running back out of the draft. And, and I, I guess, you know, part of it is that it isn't specifically a great class necessarily.

[Landon McCool]

Bad class. Yeah.

[Marcus Mosher]

And, and so, you know, obviously it's hard to parse. Like is it about the draft class or is it how, how you feel about the other guys that are on the roster? And we need to throw in Phil Mafa. I think you mentioned him, but I don't know if the questioner did because I do feel like we have heard people talking about them really liking Phil Mafa. So I do think he does figure into these plans a little bit. But I think that Phil Mafa is more just a guy to give carries to who could be another physical force. The, the thing that you are actually needing is a dynamic running back to kind of pair with Williams. And if it's not Blue, then they're not on the roster. Right. So I, I guess it's, it's probably a little bit like the line at this point now that they didn't draft somebody. It's probably a little bit like the linebacker situation, right. Where let's get into, let's get into OTAs, let's get into minicamp and let's see what it looks like. And, and again, a lot like linebacker, running back is one of those positions where you can kind of always go out and get somebody that you, that you may like. It's just there's so many of these guys that there's somebody on the street. Right. So. But the problem is, is that it's, it's finding that kind of dynamic guy. Those guys are a little bit rare and obviously Blue has the traits. The question is, has he matured enough to kind of take on the role? Which it can be a little bit complicated. So there's a lot to kind of kind of parse there. It's, it's interesting that they didn't take a running back here. They must feel either really good about what they've got in that room already or, or feel really good about their ability to go get what they need on the free agent market or this

[Landon McCool]

running back class was just really bad and they just didn't feel like they did. They were limited on their picks on day three where they had three fourth round picks and then it was a seventh round pick, I believe. And there was just, there was no running backs that were worth a fourth round pick. least, at least to me. Instead you dress, address the offensive tackle, you address corner, and then I'm blank. Oh, Overton doesn't say edge rusher there.

[Marcus Mosher]

Whatever you're calling Overton, edge rusher, defensive tackle, defensive lineman is what he was.

[Landon McCool]

I tweeted out on Saturday of the draft that I'm hoping the Cowboys get back in the fifth and sixth round, hoping to, you know, grab like a nickel singleton or somebody like that. And our guy Joe Hoyt from the Dallas Morning News actually quote, tweeted me and said the Cowboys really like Phil Mafa. They look at him as part of the 2026 draft class after red shirting him last season. It will be interesting to see his role this year. Now I thought that was fascinating. He didn't mention Jaden Blue, but Blue played a little bit more. Yeah, but I do wonder if they got on to, you know, day three of the draft and just felt like there's not really a big difference between Mafa and, you know, some of the running backs at Penn State or Jonah Coleman or somebody like that.

[Marcus Mosher]

So let's, let's break it down a little bit even further. Right. Because there's, there's two things here. One, you need somebody to take carries away from Williams. Right. And you. Two, you need a dynamic, different angle from the running back position to, to help you in the pass game, to help you in the run game. Just a change of pace, Guy. I certainly think that Phil Mafa can help you eliminate the first one.

[Landon McCool]

Yes.

[Marcus Mosher]

I think obviously he's not the guide necessarily to eliminate the second aspect. So if Phil Moffat is truly good enough to kind of be a B to Williams, A, that's great. And I think it solves the more important problem, right, as we can't allow Williams to get worn down as the season goes on because, you know, we want him at the end of the year and beyond in the playoffs. But you still, it still doesn't solve the problem of not having that kind of dynamic player that you need in the backfield to kind of help mix things up and create big. Really to help create big plays in the run game, which is ultimately what you're looking for. There.

[Landon McCool]

And I don't know where they get it. They really need it to be Jaden Blue. Now, I will say, generally for players, the biggest jump that they make in the league is from year one, year two. It's a full off season for Jaden Blue. I think he's still relatively young. He's, I think, 22 years old.

[Marcus Mosher]

He's 22, yeah.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. So you're, you're hoping being in the system for a year will really help. And I do wonder if last year was really humbling to him. He just didn't play. I mean, he basically got benched for the last two months of the season. Played really well in week 18 against the Giants. But it's a huge opportunity for him. I, if he has a great offseason, if he's really good in training camp, there's no reason why he can't have six, seven, eight touches every single game. But if it's another year like we saw last year, where he's not able to stay on the field or he's putting the ball on the ground, I won't be surprised if the Cowboys are shopping for that number two running back.

[Marcus Mosher]

I will say this because I feel like we maybe have been a little bit negative about Blue in this segment. The trajectory looks good. Like it did start out, not where we wanted it. We got reports from our buddy Stretched about some disappointment in, in the, in the way he was handling business early on, which is not unusual, you know, for rookies and especially for highly touted rookies who have been basically kind of handed everything, you know, throughout college and high school, like that, which he has. Blue has been, was a high recruit. Was, you know, was, was, was in Texas with a lot of other elite class running backs. Right. So I, I, I do think that the way that we're headed as a player gives me a lot of hope. And it does sound like his head was in the right place by the end of the season, that he had understood a little bit more about what it meant to be a professional. And the hope is that he carried that into his off season process and, and maybe buddied up with Williams a little bit just to learn on how to be a professional in the off season and how to take my game to the next level. So, yeah, if that's the case and if he continues on the trajectory that we saw week 18, then maybe this is all a moot point.

[Landon McCool]

All right, that is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making Lockdown 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 Everydayer Club is built for you. Get locked on Cowboys ad free members only, discord access and so much more. Head over to lockdown cowboys.supercast.com to join the club. And for those of you on video, make sure we could send you the first ever 24.7national NBA YouTube channel and on audio, make your second listen the locked on NFL Draft podcast. Follow Layton on Twitter @McCool BCB. I'm @Marcus Underscore Moser. We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

[Joey Erickson]

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