The Dallas Cowboys went into the offseason knowing the back end needed a real overhaul, and they attacked it like a team that had seen enough. The safety room, in particular, looks nothing like the shaky group that struggled under Matt Eberflus last year. Dallas now has a mix of proven veterans, a high-upside rookie, and enough depth to keep the rotation from falling apart.
That matters because the problems in the secondary were impossible to ignore. Coverage busts piled up, and the zone defense often looked disconnected, with players out of sync and out of position. The Cowboys are betting that the new pieces - along with Christian Parker, the former Philadelphia Eagles passing game coordinator who has a reputation for building strong secondaries - can turn that weakness into a strength.
The biggest move came with Jalen Thompson, who signed a three-year, $33 million deal after seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Dallas clearly sees him as more than a traditional safety. Last season, Thompson finished with 95 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble, and the expectation is that he’ll be used all over the formation.
“Expect to see him move around between free safety, strong safety and nickel corner, with a rep or two at off-ball linebacker mixed in as well, at times. Thompson is a field general of the highest order (which is why he's a green dot candidate),” - Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com.
The rookie who could change the picture even more is Caleb Downs. The Ohio State standout arrives with plenty of buzz, and there’s already talk that he could grow into a green dot role down the line. For now, he’s listed as the nickel back on the depth chart, but Dallas expects him to get work at both free safety and strong safety as well.
That kind of versatility gives the Cowboys something they didn’t have last season: options. Thompson brings the veteran steadiness, Downs brings the explosiveness, and Malik Hooker remains the one constant in a room that has now been fortified by P.J.
Locke too. Locke comes over from the Denver Broncos, where he didn’t do much in 2025, but he was part of one of the league’s most dominant defenses last season.
The Cowboys also have a much stronger foundation in front of the secondary after Jerry Jones pushed to stop the run and the front seven became dominant. That should help the safeties play faster and cleaner. And after what Dallas allowed last year - 35 receiving touchdowns, second-most behind the New York Jets, plus 14 completions of 40 yards or more and 58 of 20 yards or more - almost any upgrade would be welcome.
This looks like one of those upgrades that could actually stick. If the pieces click, Dallas may have turned a liability into one of the better backlines in the league.
In Other News...
These Cowboys Are Forcing Their Way Into Oxnard's Biggest Battles
With training camp in Oxnard set to open in a week, the Cowboys are already getting a clearer sense of which young players have made the strongest spring impression. Jaydon Blue, Ryan Flournoy, Shavon Revel and Cobie Durant all used OTAs and minicamp to put themselves in the conversation for bigger roles, and coaches have seen enough improvement to keep them on the radar when players report Monday and practice begins Wednesday.
The real test now is whether that momentum carries into the first full stretch of camp, when roster spots and depth-chart jobs get sorted out in earnest. Blue has a path to meaningful carries, Flournoy has taken advantage of extra chances at receiver, and Durant has been part of the defensive backfield buzz, but nothing is settled yet. Oxnard is where those promising spring months either turn into real roles or fade once the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones May Have Let Another Useful Cowboys Pass Rusher Walk
Dante Fowler Jr. was one of those Cowboys additions that never grabbed the spotlight for long, but he still gave Dallas a useful edge presence while he was here. His value showed up in the kinds of things front offices and film rooms care about most, with Pro Football Focus pointing to his pass-rush efficiency and his work against the run as reasons he remained more helpful than flashy.
Now the bigger question for Dallas is what comes next on the edge, because Fowlers departure only sharpens the scrutiny on a group that already has to prove it can hold up over a full season. Fowler still showed he can get after quarterbacks in 2025, and his move also puts him in a defense looking to add more punch for 2026, leaving the Cowboys to answer whether they have enough reliable depth to replace what he brought. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys RB2 Battle May Finally Have A Real Answer
The Cowboys spent last season getting a look at what Javonte Williams can do when he stays healthy, and the payoff was a career year that left the backfield picture looking better at the top than it had in a while. The next question has been the one behind him, where Dallas has been trying to sort out who can grow into a dependable No. 2 and take some pressure off Williams over the course of the season.
Phil Mafah is starting to look like the most natural answer in that competition with Jaydon Blue and Malik Davis. The rookie brings a downhill style that fits as a complement to Williams, and even though his NFL sample was tiny last year, the Cowboys have reason to believe there is more there if he can turn that early promise into a real role. [Read more 🡒]