Cowboys news: Newest defender wants Dak Prescott to have the ball

FRISCO, Texas – Newly signed Cowboys CB Cobie Durant was in his home state of South Carolina when he got the call about joining the Cowboys in free agency.

He couldn’t have gotten to Dallas faster.

“It’s a blessing,” Durant said. “Just getting a chance to come to Dallas and add to the secondary, a room full of playmakers, and just bring what I know in being in this league for four years to add on with DaRon Bland and everybody else in that room. Just to come in and make plays.”

Durant, 28, met Friday with the Cowboys’ new defensive staff, including defensive coordinator Christan Parker, defensive pass game coordinator/DBs coach Derrick Ansley and secondary coach Ryan Smith.

“Great guys, great coaches,” Durant said of the meeting. “I’m ready to attack this game and allow them to help me improve, and push them to push me.”

In his four seasons with the Rams, Durant lined up both inside and outside as a cornerback. With the Cowboys, he’s open to playing wherever Parker and the coaching staff feel he can flourish.

“Everybody knows, [Smith] knows, [Ansley] knows, [Parker] knows that I play both inside and out,” Durant said. “Wherever I can contribute to the team and commit those turnovers and get the ball back to Dak [Prescott]. Whether that’s inside, outside, boundary, field, it doesn’t matter. ‘The Landshark’s’ just coming to play.”

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“Just create takeaways and get the ball back to Dak. Let Dak do what he do. I’m excited for it. Like I said, got great guys in that secondary and I’m just here to add on… They’re getting a guy that the media says is too small. But you know, it ain’t all about the size of the dog, it’s the size of the heart in the dog. ‘The Landshark’s’ coming to make plays and add on to this defense.”

The Cowboys are sticking with a depth piece and special teams contributor who is still waiting for his breakout NFL moment.

Free agent tight end Princeton Fant has been re-signed by the Cowboys, per a Friday report from Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com. The just-turned-27-year-old joined the team in 2023 as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee. Since then, he’s spent most of his three seasons on the practice squad, having appeared in just 11 games.

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At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Fant has managed to do just enough to stick around in Dallas but has been stuck at the bottom of the depth chart, most recently behind starter Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, and Brevyn Spann-Ford in 2025.

The first week of free agency is almost over for the NFL, and the Dallas Cowboys still have plenty of needs. Below are the top 5 positions they need to address the most and options to do so in free agency, via trade, or the 2026 NFL Draft.

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1. Linebacker

Back in January, the Cowboys didn’t hesitate to say linebacker was their biggest need entering the offseason. It has yet to be addressed in the slightest.

If Dallas had to play a game today, DeMarvion Overshown would be joined on the field by second-year player Shemar James (a 2025 fifth-round pick) and 2025 UDFA signing Justin Barron.

What stings the most is the Cowboys took swings at Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, and even Devin Lloyd early in free agency but missed on all of them. Look for the Cowboys to target the position in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft or via the trade market.

Best veteran options: Patrick Queen via trade (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Best draft options: Sonny Styles (Ohio State), Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech)

2. Edge

Yes, the Cowboys got Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku should take a step forward in his second year in the NFL.

But there’s nothing better to mask defensive issues than an elite pass rusher and the Cowboys don’t have one of those. They entertained a trade for Maxx Crosby last weekend but now, it will be tough to find a premium edge defender. An underrated problem is the lack of depth at the position, which is why I don’t believe they’re done adding talent here.

Best veteran options (free agency): Joey Bosa (Buffalo Bills), Haason Reddick (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Best trade option: Jonathan Greenard (Minnesota Vikings)
Best draft options: Rueben Bain (Miami), David Bailey (Texas Tech), Keldric Faulk (Auburn), Akheem Mesidor (Miami), Cashius Howell (Texas A&M)

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After a fast and furious week of comings and goings for the Dallas Cowboys, we have yet another player heading out of Dallas. Today, we learned that wide receiver Jalen Tolbert will be joining the Miami Dolphins.

Tolbert’s career never panned out the way some hoped when he was drafted in the third round in 2022. Upon being selected, quarterback Dak Prescott heaped effusive praise on the small-school receiver. However, Tolbert could never put everything together. In his rookie season, Tolbert committed some costly penalties, which were expected for a first player making the leap from Southern Alabama to the NFL. At times, Tolbert showed flashes.

The Dallas Cowboys made a handful of additions throughout the first few days of NFL free agency, but now they are starting to lose some of their familiar faces.

On Friday, it was reported that former receiving touchdowns leader Jalen Tolbert is signing with the Miami Dolphins, and now another former starter is bolting for the AFC.

Safety Juanyeh Thomas, who started 36 games throughout his tenure in Dallas, is signing a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, last season he was plagued by migraine issues which limited him to just seven games.

Now, Thomas will get a fresh start in the AFC South.

During his three-year career with the Cowboys, Thomas appeared in 36 games with four starts.

Thomas’ departure seemed like a foregone conclusion after some of the early moves Dallas made at the start of free agency.