There hasn’t just been 1 glaring deficiency on the Dallas Cowboys defense the last few seasons. However, if we wanted to single out 1 position group that’s been particularly bad, it’s not hard to start with the inside linebackers.
It’s also the 1 position on the defense where there hasn’t been a discernible upgrade, which is why the Cowboys might want to look at a trade or, even better, a veteran free agent who might be available.
In terms of inside linebackers, there are still some pretty great veterans out there, and 1 that the Cowboys might want to explore signing is former Buffalo Bills star and NFL All-Pro Matt Milano.
Milano, 32, has seen injuries unspool a promising career in recent years. He only played 9 regular-season games combined in 2023 and 2024 but bounced back in 2025 with 12 games and had 67 tackles, including a career-high 3.5 sacks and 7 TFL.
Bills Reworked Roster After Firing Coach
Milano, who has approximately $61.1 million in career earnings, was part of an exodus of talent in Buffalo after longtime head coach Sean McDermott was fired and replaced with offensive coordinator Joe Brady following an overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round.
“The Buffalo Bills overhauled their defense after firing head coach Sean McDermott earlier this year, parting ways with several core players,” Heavy’s Nathan Dougherty wrote on August 6. “One of the biggest names among that group is still waiting for his next team. Linebacker Matt Milano was one of Buffalo’s top performers on defense for several years, though his performance was slowed by injuries in recent years. Milano hit free agency after the end of his $28 million contract extension (in 2025).”
Milano, 6-foot and 232 pounds, was a 5th-round pick (No. 163 overall) out of Boston College in the 2017 NFL Draft and has played his entire career with the Bills. He earned NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2022 with a season for the ages — 99 tackles, 12 TFL, 3 interceptions, 11 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, 1.5 sacks, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown.
Injuries would still be a concern, though. Milano’s season ended in 2023 with a fractured leg and in 2024 with a torn biceps tendon.
Cowboys Have Unproven Talent at Inside Linebacker
The Cowboys seem headed toward a 3-man rotation at inside linebacker with veteran DeMarvion Overshown, Dee Winters, and rookie Jaishawn Barham.
That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, even though Winters and Barham are both new additions.
The Cowboys traded a 2026 5th-round pick to the 49ers for Winters on April 24.
Winters had 101 tackles, 8 TFL, 5 pass deflections, and 1 interception returned 75 yards for a touchdown. He also started all 17 games for the 1st time in his career.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport put Winters, 5-foot-11 and 227 pounds, at the top of his list of the NFL’s best “Under the Radar” players about to play a major role in the upcoming season.
“The Dallas Cowboys had one of the NFL’s worst defenses in 2025, and the team took a buzzsaw to the unit in the offseason,” Davenport wrote on June 22. “There are new edge-rushers in veteran Rashan Gary and rookie Malachi Lawrence. Two new starting safeties in Jalen Thompson and first-round rookie Caleb Downs. And a potential new ‘green dot’ linebacker in Dee Winters … Winters isn’t an elite talent, but he was a steady producer for the 49ers last year. He also provides some badly needed stability for a Cowboys linebacker corps that was something of a carousel last year.”
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