While the Cowboys weren't exactly quiet during free agency this spring, there is still plenty of work to do for this team that finished 7-10 in 2024.
Not only did they add some key players in free agency and via trades, but they also re-signed some of the core depth as well.
Still, there are other guys on this team that must take that next step in order for the Cowboys to be successful in 2025.
Today, we'll continue the Next Man Up series with linebacker Damone Clark.
Name: Damone Clark
Position: Linebacker
Experience: 3 years
Games Played/Starts: 41/24
Years Left on Contract: 1
How Acquired: 5th-round pick (2022 NFL Draft)
Key Stat: 109 tackles in 2023 (career high)
The Past: Being snakebitten at linebacker has unfortunately been a recurring theme for the Cowboys, from the days of Dat Nguyen to Sean Lee and, most recently, to the premature end of the Leighton Vander Esch era in 2024. Clark was added to the roster as a fifth-round pick in 2022 after a sensational collegiate career at LSU with the hopes of him helping to stabilize the position, but he also battled a major injury, and before he stepped foot onto an NFL field. It was discovered in his pre-draft medical checks, by the Cowboys, that he had an issue that would require spinal fusion surgery; and so he'd undergo it, be drafted by the Cowboys, and buck the odds by making his rookie debut in October, months ahead of most people's predicted timeline.
The Present: His debut was beyond impressive, especially for a rookie who had also, again, had neck surgery only a few months prior. Things were looking way up for Clark, but inconsistency crept in and before he could regain his footing, he ran into a brick wall with the name Mike Zimmer spray painted on it. Clark and Zimmer could not come to terms on how he should be used in 2024, and that led to career lows across the board, including being active in only two games with zero starts. Unable to break through the wall, even after the Cowboys lost DeMarvion Overshown to a season-ending knee injury, Clark finds himself in a position wherein the wall is now gone — Matt Eberflus taking over as defensive coordinator — and with a very real opportunity to send a message in 2025.
The Future: Eric Kendricks remains unsigned at the time of this column being written, the Cowboys having seemingly replaced him with moves like the trade for Kenneth Murray and the free agency signing of Jack Sanborn. And with Sanborn having previously played under Eberflus, the onus is on Clark to disrupt those prepackaged plans in Dallas, as best he can. Overshown will miss several games to begin the season, more opportunity for Clark to step in, but former third-round pick Marist Liufau (2024) sits atop all LB plans at the moment, at least presumably. Can Clark get back to LSU form, or at least 2023 form, and do some damage in what will be a contract year for him? His talent level and ability say yes, but the rest is to-be-determined.
