![Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) tackles Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson (45) after throwing an interception during the first quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_38,w_1734,h_975/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/181/01km198jbq31efrg31pf.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) tackles Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson (45) after throwing an interception during the first quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
The first wave of free agency is in the history books, and while the Dallas Cowboys made some moves, they still have some glaring holes in their defense. GM Jerry Jones needs to give new defensive coordinator Christian Parker better weapons to fix that unit, and there are still plenty of options up for grabs.
Jones has rarely spent big bucks in free agency, and that might not change this time. Fortunately for him, there are still some veterans who can be had at a bargain price. Considering that, they should target Buffalo Bills' free agent LB Shaq Thompson as their next move.
Shaq Thompson Makes Perfect Sense for the Dallas Cowboys
Spotrac projects Shaq Thompson's next deal to be a one-year, $2.4 million contract. According to Over The Cap, the Cowboys only have $14.3 million in available cap space. So, should the front office feel the same way, Thompson would be right around their price range.
While not a superstar, Thompson would be an obvious upgrade over Jack Sanborn, who has agreed to return to the Chicago Bears after one year in Dallas, where he was a healthy scratch for most of the season after his dreadful play earlier in the campaign. Even at 31, he played 12 games last season, starting six, and he can play both in the middle or on the outside as a pass rusher.
Despite playing just 417 snaps, Thompson received a respectable grade of 65.2 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 36th among 88 eligible linebackers. He was outstanding in coverage, drawing a 70.2 grade (14th), giving up just 6.9 yards per completion. He also had 36 solo tackles, 16 run stops, five total pressures, and one sack.
Thompson can provide some much-needed veteran punch to a defense that gave up the third-most total yards per game last season (391.4). They also ranked dead last in both passing yards given up per game (251.5), points allowed per game (30.1, and successful third-down conversion percentage (47.3 percent).
The Cowboys aren't likely to make a big offseason splash to fix their defense, but they can still make the type of moves that will prevent them from dying from a thousand paper cuts. Thompson is a low-risk/high-reward pickup who's not going to cost them a ton of money, and they can cut him loose after one season if things don't work out.
Brian Schottenheimer orchestrated one of the most explosive offenses the NFL had to offer during his first year in town, and it would be a shame to watch that go to waste again because of the front office's inability to address their primary defensive needs.