Dallas Cowboys' latest addition to the team isn't exactly what fans were hoping for

The Dallas Cowboys are signing defensive end Jalen Dalton, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. It remains unclear if he's being signed to the 53-man roster or the practice squad, but in all likelihood, it's the latter. Dalton, an undrafted free agent in 2019, hasn't played in a regular season game in the NFL since 2022, […]

Mauricio Rodriguez — Dallas Cowboys News Writer
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Chicago Bears defensive end Jalen Dalton (78) stands along the bench during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field.
Chicago Bears defensive end Jalen Dalton (78) stands along the bench during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field. Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys are signing defensive end Jalen Dalton, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. It remains unclear if he's being signed to the 53-man roster or the practice squad, but in all likelihood, it's the latter. 

Dalton, an undrafted free agent in 2019, hasn't played in a regular season game in the NFL since 2022, when he played seven games for the Atlanta Falcons after starting the year in the practice squad.  

Who is Jalen Dalton, the new Dallas Cowboys DE? 

Most recently, Dalton has played professional football in the XFL with the San Antonio Brahmas. Earlier in his career, Dalton also had some brief stints with the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and Carolina Panthers, but he didn't play a single game with any of these three teams. 

A large reason for that was injuries. With the Saints, he suffered a season-ending injury in August of 2020 and then another one in 2021, when he "appeared to be on his way to making the 53-man roster," per nola.com. 

The Cowboys are probably looking at Dalton as depth as they navigate injuries to the defensive end room. Marshawn Kneeland and DeMarcus Lawrence remain on Injured Reserve and Mike McCarthy revealed Micah Parsons wasn't guaranteed to play against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8. 

It's certainly not the big splash move Cowboys fans are hoping for to get the team back on the right track and that's unlikely to happen at any point, too. The Cowboys have publicly stated they are aiming to improve with who is already on the team and based on their overall team-building philosophy, if they pull off any trades ahead of the trade deadline, it'll be a move for depth and nothing else. 

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