The Dallas Cowboys have built a pretty useful pipeline from the spring leagues, and Ameer Speed is the latest name trying to force his way into the conversation.
Dallas already hit on Brandon Aubrey after his USFL run, and KaVontae Turpin came out of the same spring-league lane. Now Speed, a cornerback who has already taken a winding route through the NFL, is making himself noticeable after a stint with the Houston Gamblers in the UFL.
Speed’s path has been anything but direct. The New England Patriots took him in the sixth round in 2023, but he later spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and Houston Texans.
In April, he signed with the Gamblers and drew enough attention to land with Dallas. He made the initial 53-man roster and has played in all five games so far.
The production is still light - seven tackles on the season - but his role has grown in the last two weeks. He logged 23 snaps in the win over the Texans and then 45 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Per PFF, he was in coverage 31 times across those two games, was targeted only twice, and gave up just one catch for eight yards. Against Tampa Bay, he didn’t allow a reception at all.
What jumps out immediately with Speed is the frame. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, and he looks the part of a big, physical defensive back who can match up with larger receivers. That size has shown up in the run game too, where he has posted a 74.8 grade through the first five games.
Dallas has already talked about changes after its latest loss, and the secondary looks like a natural place for them to dig deeper. The team traded for Joey Porter Jr., giving it a legitimate CB1, though he missed the Tampa Bay game because of an illness. He is expected to be back in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers.
With DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel Jr. both graded in the bottom five by PFF against the Buccaneers, Speed has a clear opening to earn more snaps. Whether that turns into a bigger role is another matter, but the tape and the numbers say he has already done enough to keep pushing for one.
In Other News...
Cowboys Fans Already Have A Week 5 Scoreboard To Sweat
At 2-3, the Cowboys are already in the familiar spot of watching the rest of the conference as closely as they watch their own sideline. Week 5 brings the kind of scoreboard math Dallas cant ignore, especially with NFC East results carrying extra weight so early in the season and a handful of other matchups around the league shaping the playoff picture if the Cowboys keep drifting around .500.
The most immediate attention is on the division games that can either help Dallas close ground or make the climb steeper, with Washington set to have a significant piece back in the mix. There is also a deeper layer for Cowboys fans to keep in mind beyond the present standings, since a couple of other games this week have ripple effects tied to future draft capital from past trades, which gives the rooting guide a little more range than your usual early-October scoreboard watch. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Have A Jake Ferguson Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Jake Fergusons rough afternoon fit neatly into a bigger Cowboys problem, because the offense could not afford wasted chances in a game where the defense was already getting pushed around. Ferguson has been a key part of Dallas passing game, but the tight ends recent decline has become hard to ignore since the ACL sprain, and the ball-security issues that have followed him since last season only add to the concern.
The timing makes it sting even more for Dallas, which committed to Ferguson long term after moving Micah Parsons. With guaranteed money now tied up in a player expected to be a stable piece of the offense, the Cowboys need far more than occasional flashes from a position that is supposed to help steady Dak Prescott. Instead, the discussion around Ferguson keeps circling back to the same uncomfortable question the team can no longer dodge. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Fans Have An Uncomfortable Week 5 Reality To Root For
The Cowboys head into the week at 2-3 after the loss to Tampa Bay, and for all the frustration around that start, the bigger picture may now be just as important as the next snap. With NFC East and NFC North results carrying extra weight, Dallas fans have reason to keep one eye on the standings and another on the draft board, because this season is already shaping up to affect more than just the playoff chase.
Philadelphias roster keeps shifting, and Washington could be getting Jayden Daniels back, which adds another layer to a division race that already feels volatile. For Dallas, the uncomfortable part is that these outcomes now matter in more than one direction, with the teams own future assets also hanging in the balance as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]