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FRISCO, Texas — It's the time of the offseason when the rubber begins meeting the road for the Dallas Cowboys. The biggest waves of free agency and the drama of the 2026 NFL Draft are now both in the rear view mirror, and the page now turns to OTAs, minicamp and the heated position battles awaiting players in training camp.
But before they turn the page to begin OTAs in early June, let's take a moment to dive into several key players on the current roster who either have plenty to prove, or have already proven plenty and are seeking the validation of a Super Bowl trophy.
Introducing the brand-new series "3 Points", and it continues with linebacker Dee Winters.
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In trading a fifth-round pick to the 49ers for Winters during the NFL Draft, the Cowboys added a much-needed experienced player to a position that didn't have a lot of options after missing out on some free agents during the offseason. Now, the question is where Winters plays his linebacker spot.
A lot is made of the MIKE linebacker position, and rightfully so, as they're crucial at communicating the defensive play calls to every level of the defense. In the past, Winters has played at the WILL linebacker spot, and explained that he has no in-game experience handling the MIKE responsibilities, which could point to where he'll play in Christian Parker's defense.
"Last year is when they started kind of implementing me in that spot a little bit," Winters said. "As far as experience, I really haven't had any. I've only done a few practices with the green dot, so that'll be new, but it's a first time for everything and I'm willing to do whatever it takes."
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Last season, the 49ers dealt with a multitude of injuries across their roster, which gave other players that maybe hadn't seen as much playing time in the past get more opportunities. Winters was one of those players who saw an increased role on defense and ended up having a career-best year.
Winters played in and started in a career-high 17 games for San Francisco, and more than doubled his career-best tackle total to finish with 101 total tackles, which led the team. With that, he added eight tackles for loss, five pass breakups, three hits on the quarterback and a 74-yard pick six against the Colts.
Now, Winters has proven what he can do in an increased role, and the Cowboys hope they can get similar kinds of production and impact from him in Dallas.
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A native of Brenham, Texas, Winters grew up about 226 miles south of AT&T Stadium. He attended Burton high school and initially played safety before converting to linebacker as soon as he arrived on campus at TCU.
In his final season of college football with the Horned Frogs, Winters was a key part of TCU's 2022 defense that helped them reach the CFP national championship game. The game before in the CFP semifinal against Michigan, Winters was named the MVP of the game after posting seven tackles, three tackles for loss and returned a 29-yard interception to give TCU a 34-16 lead late in the third quarter.
Fast forward four years, and Winters is back in his home state and can live in a new house that he's built in Arlington.
