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The door is shut closed for the Dallas Cowboys to ultimately land a trade for a veteran linebacker they reportedly eyed during the offseason.
Dallas Cowboys fans won’t like the latest news to hit the NFL ahead of training camp. Earlier in the offseason, reports indicated the Cowboys were interested in trading for All-Pro linebacker Jordyn Brooks from the Miami Dolphins.
Though a deal didn’t materialize then, both parties made sense together. That led to speculation about them as potential trade partners for when the NFL trade deadline came around. However, that door was just shut closed.
Brooks is off the table for the Cowboys
On Tuesday, the Dolphins agreed to a three-year contract extension with Brooks worth $51.3 million. Naturally, that means Brooks isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The reason why Brooks made sense as a trade target for the Cowboys was the Dolphins’ focus on the future. Earlier in the year, they got rid of QB Tua Tagovailoa, WR Jaylen Waddle, WR Tyreek Hill, and EDGE Bradley Chubb.
Dealing another veteran like Brooks, despite a first-team All-Pro season in 2025, wasn’t exactly far-fetched.
"If [a Brooks trade] doesn't happen before the season,” wrote NFL analyst Greg Auman in June, “it feels inevitable he lands with a contender at the trade deadline.”
Well, Auman and many of us turned out to be wrong. The Dolphins see him as part of their future, which means he won’t be a part of the Cowboys’.
Cowboys LB room still has questions
For the Cowboys, that means it’s time to move forward with what they’ve got. Which is not much. At least, not at middle linebacker. Currently, the projected starters are DeMarvion Overshown and Dee Winters (who they traded for during the NFL Draft).
Both are talented, run-and-hit type linebackers but lack any significant experience playing the MIKE position. During the offseason program, Overshown told reporters he expects to be the middle linebacker, revealing new defensive coordinator Christian Parker told him that was his vision.
Training camp will reveal much more when the Cowboys report in Oxnard, California in July 28. Free agents that remain available at the position include Bobby Wagner, who has extensive experience playing the role.
The Cowboys were also interested in trading for Houston Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair and pursued top free agents at the position such as Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: What seemed to be a likely Dallas Cowboys trade scenario just got taken off the table with latest NFL news
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