March 21, 2026, 4:29 p.m. CT

For all intents and purposes, the Dallas Cowboys struck out at the linebacker position in free agency this year. Failed attempts to sign Nakobe Dean left the franchise with a black hole at the inside linebacker spot. It was a position of immense weakness in 2025, and as of today, it’s an immense weakness heading into 2026.

The good news is all hope is not lost for the Cowboys. Avenues to acquire a proven veteran may still be available and Dallas may not be forced to pin all hopes on the 2026 NFL draft after all. According to reports by the Fort Worth Star Telegram’s Nick Harris, the Cowboys are still exploring veteran options at linebacker. Reciprocated feelings or likelihood of an agreement remain unknown, but the interest and thoughtfulness remain present in the Cowboys front office.

Amidst the free agent feeding frenzy earlier in the month, there were rumors the Pittsburgh Steeler’s Patrick Queen was target. The former first round pick is coming off an extremely down season and at a salary cap cost of $17,193,334, Pittsburg could save as much as $13,330,000 by trading him to Dallas as a post-June 1 transaction.  

The trade talk eventually fizzled and when asked for an update Harris offered two new names that have moved to the forefront of conversations: Jordyn Brooks and Azeez Al-Shaair.

Jordyn Brooks

Brooks, a 28-year-old former first round pick, is in the final year of his contract with the Miami Dolphins. Miami, currently undergoing a fire sale as they unload and rebuild, could save more than $8M by trading Brooks post-June 1.

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The former Texas Tech product earned a 77.8 grade from Pro Football Focus last season which was good enough for 11th overall. He’d constitute a huge upgrade over anyone currently in Dallas and would be a plug-and-play starter alongside DeMarvion Overshown in the middle of the new 3-4 defense.

Azeez Al-Shaair

At face value, this is a hard one to believe. Al-Shaair is a beloved presence for the vaunted Houston Texans defense. He’s been consistently awesome for the past five years and at age 28, looks to be at the top of his game.

Yet the contract situation in Houston may offer a window of opportunity for a predatory team like the Cowboys. The Texans are locking down key cogs across their roster and may see Al-Shaair as a luxury they can no longer afford. Al-Shaair is looking for a new contract and chances are it’s going to be at the top of the linebacker market. Cowboys fans know all-too-well that sometimes even beloved players have to leave when contract demands no longer makes sense to a front office.

Reid’s take

Given the age of each (28) and contract status (final year of deals), the cost to acquire shouldn’t be extremely high. It stands to reason a top 100 pick and some change, should be able to get something done if both teams really are actively looking to deal.

Both would be obvious upgrades for the Cowboys. They would each provide veteran stability at the top of the depth chart and allow Dallas to handle the draft more opportunistically than they’d otherwise be allowed under current conditions.

As of today, these are probably longshots, but they show the Cowboys are still exploring options and this trade market spelunking of theirs could continue up to and after the draft.

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