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DeMarvion Overshown

Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown In Line For Starting Role?

July 3rd, 2024 at 3:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys were among the quietest teams in free agency this offseason, but the team did add Eric Kendricks as a veteran linebacking presence. The former All-Pro is on track for a starting role, but he could be joined in that respect by a player yet to see regular season action in the NFL.

DeMarvion Overshown is expected to handle first-team duties if he can remain healthy this season, Jon Machota of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The 2023 third-rounder was sidelined for his entire rookie season due to an ACL tear. He did not take part in offseason workouts this spring while continuing to rehab, but returning to full health in time for Week 1 could lead to a notable role.

Overshown entered the NFL with high expectations given his college production. The Texas alum posted 96 stops, 10 tackles for loss and four sacks in his final collegiate season, showcasing his value against the run and the pass. Remaining on the field for third downs in particular would constitute a sign of confidence in Overshown on the team’s part if such a workload were to emerge come the fall.

Of course, using the 23-year-old as a full-time defender would limit Damone Clark‘s usage. The latter logged a heavy workload as a rookie in 2022 before becoming a central member of the Cowboys’ defense last season. Clark handled a 73% defensive snap share, racking up 109 tackles. Dallas’ run defense was a sore spot in 2023, however, so it comes as little surprise there will be new faces competing for roster spots and playing time during training camp and the preseason.

Kendricks – who backed out of a 49ers deal before signing with Dallas – is a highly familiar face for new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. The pair spent considerable time together in Minnesota, and Kendricks noted Zimmer’s presence as a factor in deciding to join the Cowboys this offseason. The 32-year-old has 127 starts to his name, and he will look to stabilize the second level of Dallas’ defense this season.

In addition to Overshown and Clark likely battling for a starting role this summer, the Cowboys have third-round rookie Marist Liufau and UFL addition Willie Harvey Jr. amongst their depth options at the linebacker spot. The latter two will likely handle heavy special teams workloads if they survive roster cuts, but Overshown’s role will be worth watching closely once the campaign begins.

Cowboys Set 53-Man Roster

August 29th, 2023 at 5:36pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cowboys were busy today, with the organization announcing 36 roster moves as they reduced their team to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

  • OT Josh Ball
  • WR David Durden
  • LB DeMarvion Overshown
  • TE John Stephens Jr.

According to Nick Harris of the team website, both long snapper Trent Sieg and cornerback C.J. Goodwin are expected to rejoin the active roster once the dust settles from this initial round of cuts.

Quinton Bohanna spent the past two years in Dallas after being selected in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. He got into 27 games (10 starts) over the past two years, collecting 29 tackles while playing both on defense and special teams. The Cowboys added first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith this offseason, making Bohanna expendable.

Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown Suffers Torn ACL

August 20th, 2023 at 3:10pm CST by Rory Parks

3:10pm: Gehlken reports that Overshown has indeed torn his ACL (Twitter link). The news confirms the worst-case scenario, and that he will miss his entire rookie campaign. Overshown will now turn his attention to rehab ahead of an attempt to replicate his impressive showings next offseason, while the Cowboys may now find themselves on the market for a depth LB addition in the near future. Undrafted rookie tight end John Stephens also tore his ACL last night, per Gehlken.

8:28am: The Cowboys fear that third-round rookie linebacker DeMarvion Overshown tore his ACL during last night’s preseason loss to the Seahawks, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The club will know the full extent of the damage after an MRI.

Overshown suffered the injury while making an open-field tackle of Seattle running back Zach Charbonnet during the first quarter of the game. An ACL tear, of course, would force him to miss the entirety of his first professional season, which would be an especially difficult blow given that he appeared ticketed for a significant role right out of the gate.

On paper, Dallas’ linebacking corps is the weakest part of its defense, so there was plenty of opportunity for Overshown to establish himself as at least a key rotational player and special teams contributor. He had put together an impressive training camp and was seen as an ascending talent.

“He was climbing. He was climbing the charts,” head coach Mike McCarthy said of Overshown after the game (Twitter link via Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). “He showed up right away in the offseason program, just his ability to fly around. Really has excellent command. So just hopeful. See how tomorrow goes.”

Leighton Vander Esch, who re-upped with the Cowboys on a two-year, $11MM contract in March, will likely operate as Dallas’ starter at middle linebacker (despite some recent run as an edge defender). Lining up next to him will be recent Day 3 draft choices Damone Clark (fifth round, 2022), Devin Harper (sixth round, 2022), and Jabril Cox (fourth round, 2021), all of whom will see an uptick in playing time if Overshown is indeed out for the year.

“You never want to see any of your guys get hurt, that’s what’s so tough about these preseason games,” McCarthy added (via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News). “We had a couple of young guys go down, you say your prayers and hopefully the imaging points in the right direction. He’s had an incredible camp, we’ve talked about him almost every other day. I just hope he’s OK.”

Overshown, a Texas product, received First Team All-Big 12 acclaim following his final season with the Longhorns, a season in which he compiled 96 tackles (10 TFL), four sacks, and five passes defensed.

Cowboys Sign Mazi Smith, Rest Of Draft Class To Rookie Deals

May 11th, 2023 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

With their rookie minicamp set to begin tomorrow, the Cowboys have signed their entire draft class. The team announced that they’ve officially inked all eight of their draft picks to rookie contracts, including first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith.

While many assumed the Cowboys would use their first-round pick on a tight end, they ended up pivoting to the defensive side of the ball. Smith was a worthy pick; the Michigan product finished his 2022 campaign with 48 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a half-sack en route to All-Big Ten honors.

There were some questions surrounding his consistency heading into the draft, but his size and speed made him a surefire first- or second-round pick. Fortunately for Dallas, they won’t need Smith to be a contributor right away. He’ll find himself in the mix with Johnathan Hankins and Osa Odighizuwa on the DT depth chart, but he could also earn some playing time at defensive end.

We heard earlier today that the Cowboys inked second-round tight end Luke Schoonmaker to his rookie deal. The rest of the team’s draft class includes: