Cowboys’ Super Bowl Champ Veteran Considered on ‘Roster Bubble’

Getty Cowboys linebacker Damien Wilson may be battling for a spot on the 53-man roster.

One veteran player may be fighting for his roster spot on the Dallas Cowboys throughout the preseason.

In Mike Crum of Cowboys Wire’s article regarding five players who should be considered on the “roster bubble,” he lists linebacker Damien Wilson as one of those players. The 31-year-old Wilson is in his second stint with the team, having initially been drafted by the Cowboys back in 2015. Crum mentions how Wilson’s special teams experience could give him an edge when it comes to locking down one of the final roster spots.

“Wilson was a special teams ace in his time in Dallas and played on that unit on every team he played for, including 211 snaps last year in Carolina,” writes Crum. “That was 45% of their special teams snaps. He isn’t old, he has championship experience, he knows the big stage in Dallas, and he will play all three linebacker spots as well as special teams. Those types are hard to cut.”

Cowboys Signed Damien Wilson Prior to End of Season

Wilson re-joined the Cowboys by signing with the team’s practice squad before the end of the 2023 season. During his initial stint in Dallas, Wilson started 22 of his 64 games, including 16 in each of his last two seasons.

During his best season with the Cowboys, he racked up 37 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble while starting seven games for Dallas during the 2018 season. In addition, he played 83% of the special teams snaps during that season.

As mentioned before, Wilson is a Super Bowl champion, having won a ring as a starting linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2019. Wilson started all 16 games that season while racking up 81 tackles and 1.5 sacks. In addition, he started all three games, racking up 19 tackles in the process.

Why Damien Wilson Could Lock Down Spot

While Wilson won’t be competing for a starting job leading into the season, he does add valuable experience as an experienced backup. Wilson has started 73 of his 127 career games in the NFL and can contribute on special teams when need be. During his first stint with the Cowboys (2015 through 2018), he played in at least 64% of the special teams snaps during all four of his seasons in Dallas.

As Crum also notes, Wilson can be trusted in a number of roles due to his experience of playing both on defense and on special teams at the same time.

“At 30 years old, this former Cowboy will not go out without a fight, and he brings some necessary know-how to a very young linebacker core behind Eric Kendricks,” writes Crum. “Wilson can be a backup at any of the linebacker spots and Mike Zimmer knows he can trust him to understand and execute his assignments without mental breakdowns.”

In the Cowboys’ first depth chart before their first preseason game, they list Wilson as a primary backup behind starting middle linebacker Eric Kendricks.

While his roster spot is far from secure, his experience of playing multiple roles combined with his past of playing for the Cowboys makes it likely that Wilson makes the 53-man roster entering the season.