With the preliminary 53 man roster selected, the biggest surprise may have been the Dallas Cowboys linebacker group. Not so much who did and did not make the team but more so that only 5 (currently 4) were selected in total. The initial selection process included these 5 players:
Joe Thomas was then released (at least temporarily) to make room for the Dallas Cowboys to sign WR Malik Turner as a replacement for the injured Ventell Bryant. Many Cowboys fans were suprised and disappointed that undrafted rookie Francis Bernard was not selected although he has been added to the practice squad. Justin March is another player who was released that many thought the Cowboys would keep due to his experience on special teams. Joining Bernard on the practice squad in LaDarius Hamilton. Currently there are only 4 linebackers on the active roster and two of them (Sean Lee and Luke Gifford) are injured. Sean Lee is expected to be placed on IR so it is likely that more movement will take place before week 1 officially begins next weekend.
Despite the Dallas Cowboys linebacker corps being surprisingly thin there is plenty of optimism among Cowboy fans about that group. Part of the reason for that optimism is due to faith in the new coaching staff led by defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Nolan has a ton of experience throughout his career as a linebacker coach. Current linebacker coach Scott McCurley is only 39 years old but has had success in Green Bay working with players like Clay Matthews. New defensive assistant George Edwards, formerly with the Minnesota Vikings, also has a lot of experience as a linebackers coach. Dallas Cowboys fans are banking on these coaches and a beefed up defensive front to be the catalysts that could propel the young Dallas Cowboys linebacker duo of Vander Esch and Smith to new heights.
Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch were expected to be the best linebacking tandem in the NFL last season following a breakout 2018 campaign. That certainly did not pan out. Instead, Vander Esch missed most of the season with a neck injury and although Jaylon Smith made the Pro-Bowl many believe he regressed from the previous year. Now Vander Esch appears to be healthy and will be the starting MIKE linebacker. That also means that Jaylon Smith will make the move to WILL and get more opportunities to blitz and run free playing to his strengths. If both players stay healthy they will have an opportunity to shine in the new defensive scheme.
Returning oft injured veteran Sean Lee will once again miss significant time but his presence as a mentor to both Smith and Vander Esch is invaluable. Furthermore, when he does get healthy he will provide insurance for either one of those players should they miss time later in the season.
As for the younger guys Luke Gifford and Francis Bernard, both are exciting young players and I hope to see them contribute in 2020. With both Smith and Vander Esch still in their early years, the future of the Dallas Cowboys linebacker position is very bright indeed.
*Photo by Chris Hunkeler https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
