Winters is Coming: Cowboys LB vying to be King of the North (Texas)

The Cowboys search for an off-the-ball linebacker may not be over, but the team did find an intriguing piece to the puzzle when they traded a 2026 fifth-round pick for 49ers linebacker Dee Winters.

The 25-year-old, three-year veteran, who started all 17 games for San Francisco last season and has 27 starts in total, had a conference call with the Dallas media on Thursday, shedding insight into what may be expected of him under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

The Texas native was moving into his new home in Arlington when he received a phone call from San Francisco informing him that he had just been traded to the Cowboys.

Winters grew up watching the Cowboys with his family and is excited to put on the jersey for the first time. Before the 2023 NFL Draft, the TCU product had a Dallas-Day visit with the Cowboys alongside current Dallas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. If the season were to start today, both players would be projected to start at inside linebacker for the Cowboys.

Before penciling in the depth chart, Winters will need to get acclimated to his new surrounding, specifically the 3-4 defense as he is not familiar with the scheme but he has already started to digest the playbook.

As far as wearing the so called "green dot," designated to the defender who receives the play call from the sidelines and disseminates the info to the troops on the field, getting them in the right alignments, Winters is willing to do anything for his new squad.

"There's a first time for everything and I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

No matter his position, Christian Parker has a vision for Winters which is to "run and hit" in order to maximize his physicality. Although undersized for the position — listed at 5-foot-11, 227 pounds, Winters is strikingly similar to Raiders linebacker Nakobe Dean, who spent two seasons with Parker in Philadelphia.

The former Horned Frog has played in 47 games recording 155 tackles, 99 solo, including 8 tackles for loss and three quarterback hits in his career. His lone interception came last year when he picked off Colts QB Phillip Rivers and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown.

As the Cowboys continue to reshape their defense, the arrival of Winters is more than just a depth piece, he's a player who has an opportunity to carve out a significant role. With OTAs looming and competition set to ramp up, Dallas will soon find out just how much of an impact this under-the-radar move will have this season.

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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Winters is Coming: Cowboys LB vying to be King of the North (Texas)