3 lineup changes the Dallas Cowboys should make after disappointing 1-2 start, including starting former undrafted free agent
The Dallas Cowboys have some decisions to make on offense, defense, and at the back end of their secondary. And the injury situation is only making things more urgent.
The Dallas Cowboys are 1-2, and while it may not be time to panic, it is time to look in the mirror. Several starting lineup changes need to happen for this Cowboys roster, some forced by injury and some by coaching decision. Dallas heads into a crucial Week 4 matchup against the Houston Texans with serious questions at tight end, linebacker, and safety.
Here are three changes the Cowboys should make to their starting lineup right now.
Brevyn Spann-Ford deserves TE1 snaps
Jake Ferguson is the $52 million player. He is a solid red zone weapon who had another touchdown on Sunday, had a two-touchdown game in Week 2, and was one of the best tight ends in total touchdowns last season. That part is not up for debate.
But Brevyn Spann-Ford is playing his tail off, and at minimum, he should be splitting playing time 50-50 with Ferguson. Spann-Ford is making big-time tackles on special teams and setting the tone as a tackler. In Rio, he hauled in a clutch 19-yard grab that showed what he can do with yards after the catch—something that’s been notoriously missing from Ferguson’s game. He consistently shows what he can bring as a blocker in the run game as well. His block on Kyle Hamilton was a play to behold.
Meanwhile, Ferguson had another fumble on Sunday. According to Marcus Mosher on social media, Ferguson has up to eight fumbles since 2024, which comes out to a fumble every 19 snaps. That is completely unacceptable and by far the worst rate in the league since 2024 among fumble leaders.
If you are not ready to say Spann-Ford should be the No. 1 tight end, fine. But he deserves more playing time. At minimum, like CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, this should be co-one situation.
Jaishawn Barham should remain the starting MIKE linebacker
Jaishawn Barham needs to remain the starting middle linebacker whenever DeMarvion Overshown returns from injury, which could be as early as Week 4 against the Texans.
Barham looks like the Cowboys’ MIKE right now. He is physical. He has shown great football instincts coming downhill. He is able to dip through blockers and make tackles in the backfield. He is not only able to dip around a block but also willing and physical enough to go through it, as he did in crunch time against the Baltimore Ravens. He had a couple of clutch stops with the help of his defensive line.
Here’s what we know about Overshown: he was a promising weakside linebacker in 2024. The best approach might be to let Barham keep starting at Mike and have Overshown take over at WILL, rotating in and out with Dee Winters. The best starting LB duo for this is probably Overshown and Barham.
The big challenge will be Barham’s conditioning. He needs to get better on that front, and maybe the long week will help. But Barham should be the starting middle linebacker, and it should not be up for discussion at this point. The only question is how many snap counts he can handle each week.
Markquese Bell cannot keep starting at safety
The Cowboys are severely banged up at safety. Malik Hooker is dealing with an injury, Jalen Thompson suffered a significant injury on Sunday and might be headed to injured reserve, and top backup PJ Locke also went to IR last week.
Bell has been called upon to replace one of those injured safeties, and the problem is simple: he is not playing well. In fact, he’s playing quite badly. He is a solid tackler, but he is lost in coverage and a liability on the backend. There is no way the Cowboys keep going back to him.
So who deserves a shot instead? It could be Alijah Clark, the second-year player who has been mostly a special teamer but looks better in coverage. It could be someone from the outside. Stephen Jones said on the radio that Dallas will look for outside help, though it remains to be seen whether that means depth or a potential starter, which would be complicated given how much communication the Cowboys defense requires.
The other option is moving Caleb Downs back to safety and out of the nickel role, then finding someone else to play nickel. Could that be Reddy Steward? Maybe. I realize that does not sound promising after Steward gave up the 27-yard catch that set up the Ravens for a game-winning field goal. But it is worth exploring.
The thing that needs to be clear for this Cowboys coaching staff is that Bell cannot be starting at safety. It is not good enough. It was a controversial roster decision back in August, and it has been proven why today.
