The Dallas Cowboys have done a pretty commendable job of solidifying their defense over the last year.
They improved the defensive front with trades for Pro Bowl defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark in 2025, along with a trade for edge rusher and former 1st-round pick Rashan Gary this offseason. They also used a 2026 1st-round pick on UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23 overall.
The secondary got a big boost with $33 million free-agent safety Jalen Thompson — the most they’ve spent in open free agency since 2012 — and taking Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the No. 11 overall pick.
What’s left is inside linebacker, where a trade with the San Francisco 49ers for Dee Winters looks smart, but doesn’t seem like the complete solution the Cowboys need at that spot.
In this case, that could mean swapping a Day 3 pick for Minnesota Vikings inside linebacker Blake Cashman, who Pro Football Focus NFL reporter Bradley Locker put on his list of the top NFL trade candidates just 2 months out from training camp.
Blake Cashman Entering Final Year of Contract
Cashman had 144 tackles in just 13 games in 2025, and would come to the Cowboys in the final season of the 3-year, $22.5 million contract he signed with the Vikings in March 2024.
It was Cashman’s 3rd consecutive season with at least 100 tackles and his 3rd consecutive season in which he’s missed multiple games. He had 106 tackles in 14 games in 2023 and 112 tackles in 14 games in 2024.
“Once the centerpiece of Minnesota’s fabulous defense, Cashman could be on the move after a down year,” Locker wrote. “In 2025, Cashman didn’t look like the strong linebacker of the last two years. His overall PFF grade dipped from 72.0 to 63.6, punctuated by his 48.6 PFF coverage grade. Nevertheless, he was good as a downhill player with a 7.7% run stop rate and a 5.3% missed tackle clip. In light of Cashman’s decline as well as this being the final year of his contract, the Vikings drafted linebacker Jake Golday in the second round as well as extended Eric Wilson. That suggests that either he or Ivan Pace Jr. could have their days numbered in purple.”
Cashman’s salary for 2025 — $7.5 million — isn’t an insurmountable number for the Cowboys.
He also wouldn’t come with the headache of dealing with someone else on the trade block — someone like Miami Dolphins inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who led the NFL with 183 tackles in 2025. Brooks would almost certainly want a pricey extension following a trade, which is the whole reason behind his beef with his current team.
Cowboys Can’t Rely on Returning Linebackers
The Cowboys tried to do a quick patch at inside linebacker in hopes of saving their season in 2025 by trading for Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson at the NFL trade deadline.
Wilson never even really got a chance to make an impact for the Cowboys — former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus essentially refused to play him — and the Cowboys finished 30th in the NFL in total defense as Wilson chose to retire from the NFL following the season.
While Winters should help, the players the Cowboys bring back at inside linebacker don’t do much to inspire confidence. The most talented of the bunch, DeMarvion Overshown, hasn’t been able to stay healthy for a full season in his 1st 3 years in the NFL. Beyond Overshown, it’s a wasteland.
Cowboys Trade Pitch Lands $22.5 Million Tackling Machine