Leighton Vander Esch expected to retire, Cowboys looking for complete revamp at LB

It’s no secret that one of the Dallas Cowboys biggest focuses of the off season is to overhaul the linebacker position with bodies and more size.

The unit was exposed in the 48-32 season-ending playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers when running back Aaron Jones rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

It was a season-long problem for the Cowboys who gave up 222, 170 and 266 yards on the ground in double-digit losses to the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills during the regular season.

Markquese Bell played admirably in place of the injured Leighton Vander Esch, finishing second on the team with 94 tackles.

But the 205-pound converted safety was also Exhibit A as to why the Cowboys couldn’t hold up against the run.

Too much was also added to plate of linebacker Damone Clark in terms of calling the defense.

The Cowboys will use the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft and free agency to overhaul the position.

Vander Esch is expected to retire due to neck injury.

“We’ll let Leighton speak to that,” Vice President Stephen Jones said earlier this week. “It’s an injury issue that he’s getting his hands around. He’ll speak to that.”

That new look will start with the return of 2023 third-round pick DeMarvion Overshown from a torn ACL suffered in the preseason, which proved to be the biggest initial setback for the Cowboys at linebacker last season.

Overshown, a speedy and physical sideline-to-sideline tackler, is expected to good to go in 2024, per Jones.

But with Mike Zimmer replacing Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator, the plan is to get bigger and better at the position.

The Cowboys move back to a three-linebacker look in the base defense after playing with three safeties in addition to the undersized Bell under Quinn.

“Well, I think when you move Bell down there, you’ve got a player that started as a safety playing linebacker,” Jones said. “There’s no question that losing Leighton, that was a difference maker in terms of what he was bringing to the table and in terms of his size and length. I think that’s a very fair statement, that we can be more physical and need more size at that position. I think Mike Zimmer, when he talks, he’s going to echo those thoughts, too. He wants more size there, more physicality there. We’re going to look at and we’ll come up with a good solution that will make us better against the run.”

The Cowboys are taking a deep look at the position at the NFL Scouting with formal interviews with Michigan linebacker Junior Colson, Missouri linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper as Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper as well as a number of informal interviews with many others, including Texas linebacker Jaylon Ford.

Don’t look for the Cowboys to select a linebacker in the first round of the draft but they will likely load up in the middle rounds.

Among the options in free agency are Josey Jewell of the Denver Broncos and Lavonte David and Devin White of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.