Cowboys have suddenly replaced nearly half of their defensive line

The Dallas Cowboys have been busy over the last week adding experienced depth to their defensive line. They’ve been so active, in fact, that nearly half of the projected roster members weren’t with the team at the start of training camp. How should we feel about this much turnover so close to Week 1?

Within about a week, Dallas traded for DT Jordan Phillips and signed two free agents in DE Carl Lawson and DT Linval Joseph. Some have personal connections to the Cowboys coaches; Joseph played several years under Mike Zimmer in Minnesota and Lawson had a year with assistant Paul Guenther in Cincinnati. All have considerable NFL experience and are good fits for Zimmer’s scheme.

A few weeks earlier, Dallas also added lesser-known pass rushers Al-Quadin Muhammad and Shaka Toney. This came in the aftermath of Sam Williams’ season-ending knee injury, so a need was there but it also indicated the Cowboys’ lack of comfort with their existing depth options. Toney has since been waived injured, but Muhammad has done enough to be on the roster bubble.

While August roster moves aren’t unusual, the extent to which Dallas has revamped the defensive line this month is abnormal. For some, it’s the kind of activity they clamored for all spring when the lack of depth was obvious. Even after the draft and the additions of DE Marshawn Kneeland and DT Justin Rogers, it was clear that the Cowboys were thin at both positions.

The top of the depth charts may not be impacted much. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence are still your primary ends and Osa Odighizuwa is the top tackle. The only starter who may be affected is Mazi Smith, who has improved in his second training camp but is still very much a work in progress. We will likely see Phillips and Joseph get snaps that backup options like Rogers. Albert Huggins, or Carl Davis (now released) weren’t going to. Hopefully, this relieves some pressure on Smith and allows all to be more effective in a rotation.

At DE, Lawson walks in as at least the fourth guy behind Parsons, Lawrence, and Kneeland. We haven’t seen enough from Muhammad or Tyrus Wheat to think they’ll command snaps, and neither Chauncey Golston nor Villiami Fehoko are pass rushers. Of those four guys, only one may actually make the roster now.

While the new wave brings plenty of name recognition, they’re not without considerable risk. Lawson only played six games last year for the Jets and had zero sacks. Phillips was traded away for next-to-nothing by the Giants, indicating he probably wasn’t going to make the roster. And Joseph, who turns 36 in October, hasn’t played a full season since 2020.

These risks are mitigated by the fact that none of the veterans are being asked to be full-time starters. Even if Phillips gets the occasional first snap in games, Mazi Smith will likely still have more total snaps by the end of the year. As we saw with Johnathan Hankins and Dante Fowler in recent years, a rotation role can allow some veterans to look their best when on the field.

So if these moves were necessary to make the coaches and front office more comfortable, what took so long? The Williams injury certainly changed the landscape but had nothing to do with defensive tackle, where more of the change has occurred. Why did Dallas wait so long to pull these triggers?

Wanting to see what younger guys can do is never a bad thing. Smith, of course, needed evaluation but so did Kneeland, Rogers, Wheat, and other prospects. Rather than adding progress-stoppers, the Cowboys allowed things to stay rough for a bit to see if any diamonds emerged. Obviously, they had some things in their back pocket if nothing materialized.

Also, remember that it takes two to tango. In some cases, Joseph’s particularly, veterans may avoid the early weeks of camp as they know their job and don’t need the wear and tear. Back in 2022, Dallas signed OT Jason Peters in early September after he’d sat out the whole summer. He still was able to come in and contribute off the street, even at 40 years old.

After one major injury and some uninspiring showings from their depth prospects, the Cowboys are counting on the proven talent and experience of Jordan Phillips, Carl Lawson, and Linval Joseph to provide immediate improvement. With all likely to make the roster, and perhaps Al-Quadin Muhammad as well, that’s quite a chunk of the 9-10 defensive linemen on the 2024 roster who weren’t with the team before August. You can either applaud the front office for staying vigilant during camp or be annoyed that they weren’t as concerned earlier in the offseason. In the end, the strategy will be judged by the results.