The Dallas Cowboys are set to start training camp on July 21 to officially kick off the Brian Schottenheimer era.
They made some changes in an attempt to improve their chances of making the playoffs in 2025. They will be without DeMarvion Overshown for the foreseeable future, as there's no return date announced after he suffered a major knee injury last season.
Dallas signed Jack Sanborn in free agency and traded for Kenneth Murray Jr. to help bolster the LB rotation.
While they may be able to step up, Dallas should have Eric Kendricks on speed dial during training camp if their LB rotation doesn't look as strong as anticipated.
Eric Kendricks Could Be a Nice Addition for Cowboys in Training Camp
Kendricks spent one season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2024, but he was productive in his lone season. The UCLA product started in 15 games for Dallas, logging 138 total tackles, four TFLs, and three sacks. According to PFF, he had a 75.2 overall grade (27th among 189 graded LBs), 78.3 run-defense grade (12th among 189 graded LBs), and 62.7 coverage grade (61st among 189 graded LBs).
Despite being 33 years old, Kendricks still has the ability to be a quality defender at the second level. He's a 10-year vet with a First-Team All-Pro (2019) and Pro Bowl (2019) under his belt.
As for Murray Jr., he hasn't been able to hit his ceiling, struggling immensely as a run defender. He's posted a 48 or lower PFF run defense grade for the last four seasons. Murray Jr. put up 95 total tackles, eight TFLs, and 3.5 sacks in 2024, but there are areas for improvement. Per PFF, he had a 45.9 overall grade (169th among 189 graded LBs), 35 run defense grade (185th among 189 graded LBs), and 54.4 coverage grade (119th among 189 graded LBs) in 2024.
He has something to prove in Dallas, but it's telling that the Titans were willing to move on from Murray Jr. after just one year in Tennessee.
Meanwhile, Sanborn spent the first three years of his career as a depth LB piece in Chicago under defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. He only has 19 starts on his resume (48 career games), posting 164 total tackles and 14 TFLs. He never recorded more than 65 total tackles in a season, so that could be a big step forward.
Sanborn mostly served as a special-teams contributor, playing in 39% or fewer of the defensive snaps in Chicago.
That's why re-signing a player like Kendricks would make sense for Dallas if this LB pair is underwhelming in training camp. Kendricks could return on a one-year deal and provide this defense with a quality veteran in the middle.