The Cowboys have a clear offseason mandate on defense, and edge rusher sits near the top of the shopping list.
Dallas had trouble generating pressure in 2025, finishing with the seventh-fewest sacks in the league. The front office did bring in Rashan Gary and Malachi Lawrence, but Gary is coming off a disappointing campaign, Lawrence is still an unknown in Year 1, and there are still questions around Donovan Ezeiruaku in his second season.
That’s why a veteran like Za’Darius Smith makes so much sense as a potential addition. Smith is coming out of retirement after a brief stint with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, with Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reporting last week that he is returning to the NFL. He has already worked out with the Cleveland Browns, though no signing appears close.
Age is the obvious knock. Smith turns 34 in September. But he showed there’s still something left, putting up 1.5 sacks in five games in 2025 after recording nine sacks in 17 games the year before.
There’s more to his value than just finishing plays at the quarterback. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith has consistently graded as a plus run defender throughout his career, including a 69.5 last season. That matters for Dallas, which gave up the 10th-most rushing yards per game in 2025.
He also brings something the Cowboys could use on passing downs: flexibility. Smith has played plenty on the interior and could line up next to Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, giving Dallas another way to attack the quarterback when the situation calls for it.
Jerry Jones has already made it clear he’s open to adding help. At the start of training camp, he said, "I'd give up the future to substitute where we are today," and added, "As to a player, to give you an idea about what I'd invest, something substantive, to get the right kind of deal and improve us for Opening Day? I would."
Smith could cut into snaps for Lawrence and others, but that’s a concern Dallas can live with if it means upgrading a defense that needs more punch. For a team with urgency heading into the 2026 season, the fit is obvious.
In Other News...
Sean McVay Just Gave Cowboys Fans Real Hope About This Defense
The Cowboys defense has been one of the more encouraging parts of camp, and a strong preseason showing against the Rams only added to that impression. In joint practice and game action, Dallas gave Los Angeles enough problems to draw praise from Sean McVay, who pointed to the way the roster has been reshaped and singled out players such as Justin Barron and Shavon Revel for standing out.
For a unit that has been under the microscope, that kind of outside respect matters. The front seven in particular looks improved, and the overall defensive group has shown more pop than plenty of people expected this early. The bigger question now is whether those flashes in August can turn into something sturdier once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Offseason Hype Just Ran Into A Brutal Reality Check
The Cowboys head into 2026 with one of the leagues rarest advantages, bringing back all 11 offensive starters while pairing that continuity with a defense that has been completely reworked under a first-year coordinator. On paper, it is the kind of setup that can fuel real optimism in Dallas, especially when so much of the roster is already familiar and the offensive side does not have to spend August learning on the fly.
Still, the early outside read on the Cowboys has been far less enthusiastic. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk slotted them 17th in his preseason power rankings and made it clear he is not ready to buy into Super Bowl talk, citing the franchises long history as part of the skepticism. The first chance to see any of that new-look roster in action comes in a preseason game against the Seahawks, though the starters are not expected to play, leaving the bigger questions for later. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Romo Suddenly Faces A Career Threat Cowboys Fans Didn't Expect
Tony Romos post-playing career has hit an unexpected pause, with CBS Sports putting the former Cowboys quarterback on leave after his July 23 arrest in Wisconsin. The network has not made a final call on his future, but the situation has quickly become one of the biggest questions around one of the NFLs most visible broadcasters, especially for fans who have followed his transition from the Dallas huddle to the TV booth.
For now, the matter is headed toward court, with Romo scheduled to appear on September 21. In the meantime, CBS is keeping its options open, even as former analyst Boomer Esiason has suggested Romos run at the network could be finished, leaving a familiar name from Cowboys history in the middle of an uncertain stretch. [Read more 🡒]