The Dallas Cowboys are the Miami Heat of the NFL. They’re seemingly linked to every star player (pun intended) and always feel like they’re right there, but something falls through or gets in the way.
I can’t speak for Pat Riley and the Heat, but when it comes to Jerry Jones, it usually comes down to him getting in his own way. And it’s almost always hilarious for the New York Giants and their fans.
That’s why it’s important not to sweat the small stuff and only worry about the moves the Cowboys actually make, not the ones they were close to making, almost made, or thought about making. Take the Detroit Lions, for example. They recently declined All-Pro, Pro Bowl linebacker Jack Campbell’s fifth-year option, and The Landry Hat’s Levi Dombro immediately tossed the 25-year-old’s name into the circus ring that is the Cowboys... because that’s what Dallas does best.
Funny enough, Dombro's analysis is rooted in Dallas swinging and missing on Azeez Al-Shaair earlier in the offseason. Hello, irony:
"After whiffing on a trade for Al-Shaair, Campbell is a natural pivot. Clearly, Dallas is still looking to add to its inside linebacker room, and if Campbell could soon be available, then the Cowboys' dreams of landing a star at the position are at least still alive."
Giants’ cap casualty is the easy answer to Cowboys' linebacker struggles
The likelihood of America’s Team signing Campbell next offseason feels slim for a few reasons, but the biggest one is simple: they rarely make the easy, logical move when it’s right in front of them.
They’d rather swing big, and they’ve been striking out for a while now. Former Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke is the obvious solution -- no waiting until next offseason, no bidding war, just a plug-and-play answer sitting right there. The Cowboys have been searching for a stud green-dot backer for years now. Why wait any longer?
Okereke was cut earlier this offseason to save the Giants $9 million in much-needed cap space, but he's far from a throwaway. It's actually surprising he hasn't gotten much interest on the open market. Sure, 2025 wasn't his best season, but it was a far cry from his worst. He finished the year with 143 tackles, two tackles for loss, and six passes defensed.
There's also the reason why Detroit declined the fifth-year option in the first place. It had absolutely nothing to do with them not wanting him back or thinking he's over the hill. It's because the NFL has lumped outside linebackers and pass-rushers in with the off-ball linebacker crew when it comes to the fifth-year option. The Lions didn't want to pay Campbell nearly $22 million for a middle linebacker.
Makes sense. But that doesn't mean a long-term deal is off the table.
And that’s where this falls apart. Instead of waiting around for a maybe with Campbell next offseason, there’s already a proven answer sitting right there.
Naturally, that’s what led to the Campbell-to-Dallas pipedream. It’s not like Jerry Jones has struggled with contracts lately or anything... Micah Parsons, Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, and George Pickens.
With a clear need for a linebacker upgrade, expect the Cowboys to pass on the obvious Okereke solution for a could-maybe-potentially-happen next year solution.
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