Inside The Star
When asked earlier this week about the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive struggles, Jerry Jones gave a familiar response:
“Help on the way is important. We do have two or three key players and we’ll start getting healthier at safety, which we’re really right now suffering from our depth at safety.”
The comment, meant to inspire confidence, instead highlighted a long-standing problem with Jones’ approach to roster management: his unrelenting belief that injured players returning from rehab can instantly solve deep-rooted problems.
In 2025, that philosophy has reared its head again, as Jones appears to be pinning the team’s hopes on LB DeMarvion Overshown and CB Shavon Revel to turn around what has been the league’s worst defense.
The Cowboys, now sitting at 3-4-1, are a team in disarray on the defensive side of the ball.
Under new DC Matt Eberflus, they’ve regressed in every major category; from tackling efficiency to third-down stops to turnover differential.
Yet, instead of addressing the unit’s glaring weaknesses through free agency or trades, Jones is once again banking on players fresh off the injury list to fix everything.
The latest proof of how poorly this strategy works came with the Trevon Diggs situation.
When Diggs returned from his torn ACL this offseason, Jones treated it as if the Cowboys had landed an All-Pro acquisition they didn’t already have on the roster.
The front office bypassed several veteran free agents, including Stephon Gilmore, who remains unsigned despite being a former Cowboy and still capable of steady play.
Dallas assumed Diggs’ return would restore their secondary to elite form. Instead, his comeback was short-lived.
He landed on injured reserve again, this time with what the team described as a “concussion suffered at home,” though whispers suggest the real concern lies with the same knee that ended his 2024 campaign.
Diggs’ absence, paired with Dallas’ refusal to add reliable depth, has left the cornerback room vulnerable and exposed, forcing inexperienced players into roles they’re not ready for.
Guys like Kaiir Elam, Reddy Stewart, and Trikweze Bridges are out there fighting for their lives versus top NFL talent after being on their couches a couple of months ago.
That’s the danger of Jones’ mindset: rather than prepare for setbacks, he assumes recovery equals reliability.
It’s a shortsighted approach that has repeatedly burned this franchise, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Still, Jerry Jones hasn’t learned his lesson.
The owner is now pushing the narrative that DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel will be the cavalry charging in to rescue this sinking defense.
Overshown, the athletic linebacker from Texas, showed flashes of brilliance before tearing his ACL last season.
His instincts, speed, and versatility make him an exciting player, but expecting him to play at full throttle right out of the gate after such an injury is both unrealistic and risky.
Meanwhile, Revel remains a complete unknown at the NFL level.
While the Cowboys have praised his athletic...
