Cowboys news: Dallas schedule leaks are piling up

In a recent podcast, Giants insider Jordan Raanan suggested Nabers’ injury could knock him out of Week 1.

“Malik Nabers injury is something we have to keep an eye on,” Raanan said on the Giants Nation Show. “The more I hear the more I’m like Week 1 is in serious question.”

Raanan added Nabers’ best play could come only four to six weeks into the season.

On top of that, the Giants made two Top 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Though ED/LB Arvell Reese and OT Francis Mauigoa are promising rookies, the Cowboys will get them in their first ever action at the NFL level. That’s better than facing them later on in the season. The same goes for working with a new coaching staff.

Cowboys improved defense, but still lack a trusted pass rusher – Shane Taylor, Inside The Star

The Cowboys have done a ton of maneuvering to turn the Micah Parsons trade into a full-on defensive rebuild, but are they still missing a feared pass rusher like Parsons anyway?

I will say this though, I will take what they have right now over a guy who will get you 20 plus sacks. Now, I think both the Packers and the Cowboys won that trade, and the Dallas defense in terms of personnel is better today a year after the trade than they were before it.

I would like them to resign Clowney, who still remains unsigned. That would be the best possible offseason outside of trading for Maxx Crosby, in my opinion.

Dallas just lost Dante Fowler to the Seattle Seahawks last week, so a depth guy there has been lost, so it would be nice to see them resign the guy who just led the team in sacks last season, or they will have a new sack leader for the third year in a row.

The Cowboys have a lot of guys that are going to need to chip in with getting to the passer this year, but I trust the guy who they are allowing to guide the defense now in Parker.

Although they lack this, the secondary is still the biggest issue with the defense, but all they need to be on average for this team and will George Pickens returning to the tag, the offense will be good enough again.

3 Points: Donovan Ezeiruaku poised for big role in 2026 – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com

Even through a position change going from year one to two, a big part of the Cowboys pass rush plan will be 2025 draft pick Donovan Ezeiruaku.

5

In his rookie season, Ezeiruaku finished in the top five of rookie EDGEs in multiple categories. Ezeiruaku was third in run stops (29), tied for fourth in QB pressures (28) and fourth in tackles (40). He did so starting in nine games for the Cowboys and playing in all 17. Currently, Ezeiruaku is recovering from labrum surgery and is expected to be ready for training camp looking to improve his numbers in his second season.

569

With 569 snaps for the Cowboys last year, Ezeriuaku leads all returning EDGE plays in snaps on Dallas’ roster going into 2026. Across the entire defense, Ezeiruaku played the third-most snaps of players that are returning for the upcoming season, trailing only DaRon Bland (701 snaps) and Kenny Clark (627). The Cowboys’ EDGE/OLB room is set to look different in year one under Christian Parker with the additions of Rashan Gary and first-round pick Malachi Lawrence.

Top 10 most complete NFL rosters for 2026 season – Eric Edholm, NFL.com

The Cowboys get just an “honorable mention” on this list, but more importantly the top three “most complete” teams are all on their 2026 scheduled road games.

The results surprised me. Even though the Chiefs are coming off their worst season in more than a decade, it was still somewhat jarring to see them miss the cut. I also thought the Packers and Chargers could crack the list, but they were the next ones left on the cutting-room floor. The Bears, Buccaneers, Bengals and Cowboys also received consideration before falling short.

Here’s who did make the ranking — and yes, not everyone is going to agree with my top group.

Rank 1 Los Angeles Rams

One reason Rams fans seemed to take such exception to the drafting of quarterback Ty Simpson in Round 1 was the belief that the team boasted a Super Bowl-caliber roster and could only be a player or two away from another championship. At the very least, Rams fans’ hearts appeared to be in the right place.

Los Angeles was one possession away from reaching the Super Bowl, and no matter what you thought of the Simpson selection (or the rest of the Rams’ draft class), this appears to be a roster capable of reaching — and even winning — the big game this time around.

L.A. might boast the NFL’s best offense, depending on Puka Nacua’s rehabilitation and Davante Adams’ health. QB Matthew Stafford returns for at least another season following his MVP campaign, with most of last year’s two-deep stacked up behind him. Add in myriad talents at tight end and two quality runners (Kyren Williams and Blake Corum) operating behind a respectable offensive line, and this unit has few obvious weaknesses.

Defensively, the Rams addressed their biggest issue by adding CBs Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. At full strength, the secondary could be one of the team’s best units, mitigating the fact that the linebacker group doesn’t knock your socks off. Still, buoyed by a strong D-line that thrives on pressure, this is a defense that should be far closer to the top of the rankings than the bottom.

Daily discussion question: What would be the worst twist the schedule could take?