It's hard to evaluate the Dallas Cowboys' defensive performance against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders' offensive line is not functional, and their wide receiver room leaves much to be desired.
Cowboys fans will learn a lot more about the defense Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, but it's impossible not to be encouraged by what Matt Eberflus' group put forth on Monday night. For starters, Dallas had a plethora of players return from injury and make their team debuts, including Quinnen Williams, DeMarvion Overshown, Malik Hooker, Shavon Revel, and Logan Wilson.
Incredibly, more reinforcements are on the way, as Dallas activated defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey (back) from injured reserve. To make room for Winfrey, the team waived linebacker Damone Clark, a fifth-round pick in 2022.
Cowboys waive Damone Clark, activate Perrion Winfrey from IR
This is very much a double-edged sword transaction.
On one hand, Winfrey had an awesome training camp and preseason. There was hope he earned a spot in the rotation after he made the 53-man roster, but he suffered a back injury right before the regular season. The Cowboys now have a wealth of options at DT, but Winfrey's positional flexibility and punishing playing style could help him carve out a role.
It's worth noting, too, that Solomon Thomas missed Monday's win with a calf injury, so we could see Winfrey as soon as Sunday against the Eagles. Regardless of how many snaps Winfrey plays, his joining the mix will allow Matt Eberflus to keep Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, and Kenny Clark as fresh as possible.
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As exciting as it is that Winfrey is finally healthy, it's sad to see Clark go. Brian Schottenheimer met with the media on Tuesday and admitted that it was a tough decision.
"What an incredible young man he is," Schottenheimer said. "In my conversation with Damone, I said, 'Hey, man, your career is just getting started. Sometimes change is good. I really believe that. That's not bulls***.'"
Clark burst onto the scene as a second-year player in Dan Quinn's defense, leading the Cowboys with 109 tackles and tying for second behind Micah Parsons with 32 defensive stops. Unfortunately, the young linebacker fell out of favor under Mike Zimmer in 2024, and he's only been active for five games this season.
Not only did DeMarvion Overshown return on Monday, but trade deadline pickup Logan Wilson made his Cowboys debut. They led Dallas' linebackers with 31 and 34 snaps, respectively, followed by rookie Shemar James (26), Kenneth Murray (26), and Marist Liufau (15). There simply isn't room for Clark.
Perhaps Dallas will sign him back to the practice squad if he clears waivers, but Schottenheimer's quote made it sound like it was a clean break.