The Dallas Cowboys are certainly equipped with plenty of offensive firepower to contend in the NFC during the 2025 NFL season. It remains to be seen, however, if the defense will be able to compete at a high level and keep games close enough for Dak Prescott and Co. to pull out victories.
Adding Micah Parsons back into the fray would help immensely, but right now, they'll have to fend without him as they navigate through the murky waters of his contract situation. Dallas badly needs help on defense, especially in the middle of the field.
This offseason, the team added players like Kenneth Murray Jr. and Jack Sanborn to the linebacker corps, but they could still use depth at the position if they want to field a competent defense in 2025. During Saturday evening's game, one player stepped up, and it may have just saved his roster spot.
Cowboys LB Damone Clark saved his roster spot against Ravens
Damone Clark was a fifth-round draft pick by the Cowboys in 2022, and the first two years of his career were marked by playing a majority of the defensive snaps. His role was dramatically cut into last season, however, as he primarily played on special teams in 2024.
After a rough showing in Dallas' first preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, where he recorded a Pro Football Focus grade of 41.1, Clark responded with a strong outing against the Baltimore Ravens, recording seven tackles, including two for a loss.
He turned in a PFF grade of 86.6, which was the third-highest on the Cowboys' defense in their second preseason bout. This was in a larger sample size as well, considering he played 33 snaps on Saturday in comparison to just 12 the week prior.
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Most importantly, he looked great in pass coverage, which will be a key component of him carving out a role this season. While he was still in line to likely make the team as a depth piece, bad games in the preseason can be a slippery slope, and he just prevented that from happening with a bounce-back.
Clark had six run stops against the Ravens and was not even targeted in 13 snaps playing pass coverage. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker imposed his will against Baltimore despite the lopsided effort and final score.
This is the Matt Eberflus effect in full force, as the former Chicago Bears head coach is a known savant at developing linebackers. If the team's defensive coordinator can continue to put in work like this with all of the team's linebackers, they may have a strength at what was once considered a weakness.
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