It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys, despite adding a wave of defensive players in free agency and the draft, still have some spots on the roster that are perhaps a bit thin. While fans and observers have been eager for the team to make moves that would load up at certain positions, it should be noted that adding a veteran player on one side means a player falls off the roster on the other side. Therefore, when we get breathless reports about the potential of one UDFA or another, and we also get breathless articles projecting which veteran free agent the Cowboys could add, we’ve got to remember that you can’t always have both.
Still, it is a mechanism for the Cowboys, the late-camp or early-season addition of a veteran. It’s a tool they use every year, though not so much in May. There could be interest shown in the spring, but it won’t be until late summer until a signing happens. Sometimes it works out (Jadeveon Clowney last year) and sometimes it does not (Dalvin Cook in 2024).
The Cowboys, still thin at linebacker even after the draft and a trade for the 49ers’ Dee Winters, could wind up in the late-addition business again–perhaps for former Bills All-Pro Matt Milano.
Matt Milano ‘Really Good’ in Coverage
Milano was a player floated by Eric Chiofalo of “The Love of The Star” podcast this week, when looking at potential roster-strengthening moves the Cowboys could have on tap. There is no doubt there is concern about the depth at linebacker, and that perhaps a veteran could be the answer. A trade for the Dolphins’ Jordyn Brooks is the dream for the Cowboys, and veteran Bobby Wagner has been the darling of the Cowboys speculation circuit.
But Milano would be an interesting fit, more of a coverage linebacker who could bolster the pass defense.
Said Chiofalo: “Maybe it is a Matt Milano, who has been a really good coverage linebacker but who also has injury history, who was with the Buffalo Bills. There are some other names out there. It depends on what they need, if they need a cover guy.”
Cowboys Can Be Patient Until Training Camp
And that is part of the reason the Cowboys are being patient just now. It’s fair to assume that they are aware of a potential hole at linebacker, and that perhaps they could use a veteran cornerback and/or pass-rusher. But again, they have a large group they want to look at, including the UDFA players, and want to sort out whom they’re keeping and who they may discard before they get a bit more aggressive in the free-agent market.
A player like Matt Milano probably is not going to sign in the next two weeks, not with his injury history–he was an All-Pro in 2022, but since then, he has played just 21 games because of some rough injuries–a nasty broken leg, a torn pec muscle, a torn biceps. So the Cowboys can wait and make a move in July or August.
As Chiofalo said, that’s not uncommon: “It is something they like to do in training camp, maybe week one or week two of training camp, when you get a feel for what guys they have how they are playing and we see them wanting to bring veteran in. These are guys who can still come in and help you.”
Cowboys Floated as Landing Spot for All-Pro Free Agent