Joseph (back) left Cowboys practice Wednesday, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
The 2021 second-round pick out of Kentucky mostly played on special teams in 2022, but stepped into a larger role late in the season and started opposite of Trevon Diggs. The Cowboys acquired Stephon Gilmore from the Colts in March and is expected to be the starter for the 2023 season. Joseph adds depth to the corner position and should see plenty of action in coverage schemes and on special teams.
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Cowboys' Jourdan Lewis: Will be placed on PUP list
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Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones said Monday that Lewis will open training camp on the PUP list, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Lewis ended 2022 on injured reserve with a Lisfranc injury and has been trying to get back to full strength this offseason, but it sounds like he's still got a ways to go. If the cornerback is still on the PUP list at the end of training camp, he'll be forced to miss at least the first four games of the regular season.
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Cowboys' Damone Clark: Appears set as starter
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Clark looks to be locked into one of the top two linebacker spots on the Cowboys defense alongside Leighton Vander Esch, Patrik Walker of the team's website reports.
A fifth-round pick out of LSU last year, Clark would have gone much higher were it not for a back issue that required spinal fusion surgery that jeopardized his rookie season. Instead, he made an impressive recovery and wound up playing 10 games in 2022, and he set a Next Gen Stats record for a linebacker by reaching a top sprint speed of 22.19 mph in his NFL debut while chasing down the Bears' Justin Fields. Dallas has plenty of linebacking talent however, with 2021 fourth-round pick Jabril Cox and 2023 third-round pick DeMarvion Overshown also fighting for snaps -- not to mention Micah Parsons, who could see less action at defensive end this season. Even in a starting role, Clark may not see the snap volume to make a big IDP impact despite his elite speed.
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Cowboys' Micah Parsons: Versatility to be emphasized
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Parsons says he's more interested in making impact plays all over the field than he is in winning the sack title in 2023, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.
"Just playing chess, just being able to move around, that's the special ability that I have, that I want to incorporate," Parsons said Thursday. "We're doing a lot of special things. I don't want to give a lot away right now, but it's going to be a really cool year. I'm probably going to play like eight positions this year." The 24-year-old played just over 80 percent of his snaps in 2022 along the line of scrimmage, nearly double the 41.9 percent mark he recorded as a rookie, but defensive coordinator Dan Quinn might be gearing up to deploy the uber-athletic Parsons all over the formation this season. He should still get plenty of sacks after racking up 26.5 in his first 33 career regular-season games, but he also might see his tackle total rise from the 65 he picked up last year, and nabbing his first career interception could also be on the table.
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Cowboys' Jourdan Lewis: Ramping up activity
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Lewis (foot) has ditched the walking boot and has started running, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Lewis is still recovering from the Lisfranc injury that he sustained in October, but he appears to be recovering well. He was able to progress out of a walking boot in March and the cornerback is trying to make it back to practice before players get placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
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Cowboys' Micah Parsons: Up to 251 pounds
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Parsons said Tuesday that he currently checks in at 251 pounds, having added weight in anticipation of taking more snaps at defensive end in 2023, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Parsons was 246 pounds at the 2021 NFL Combine -- where he ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash -- and was listed at 245 last season. He instantly became one of the best defenders in the league and has never missed a game because of an injury, but he said nagging health concerns last season prevented him from being at his best. Parsons nonetheless tallied 65 tackles, 13.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries en route to earning All-Pro honors for a second time in two years. He believes the added weight in combination with taking more snaps at defensive end can help him stay healthier, though the move away from off-ball-linebacker snaps already mostly happened in his second season. Per Pro Football Focus, Parsons took 693 snaps on the line of scrimmage in 2022, more than four times his number as an off-ball linebacker (170). As a rookie, he took only 390 on the line and 540 as a linebacker.
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Cowboys' Viliami Fehoko: Bolsters Boys' D-line
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The Cowboys selected Fehoko in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 129th overall.
Fehoko was recruited as a tight end, but by the time he stepped onto the field for San Jose State he played along the defensive line. He's a strong pass rusher and racked up 22 total sacks across his final three seasons as a Spartan. Fehoko is more a technical and energetic player rather than overly athletic, but he should contribute quickly in a rotational role along Dallas' defensive line.
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Cowboys' DeMarvion Overshown: Stays in Texas with Dallas
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The Cowboys selected Overshown in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 90th overall.
Overshown (6-foot-3, 229 pounds) is a linebacker now but previously played safety at Texas until switching positions in 2020, giving him a potentially ideal mix of skills for a Dan Quinn defense. Overshown is more of a developmental project, but as he continues to bulk up, his standout athleticism could allow him to enjoy an accelerated learning curve.
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Cowboys' Mazi Smith: Lands in Big D
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The Cowboys selected Smith in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 26th overall.
Dallas adds one of the better pound-for-pound athletes in this class by scooping Smith out of Michigan. Smith was part of dominant defenses during his time in Ann Arbor and gained national notoriety when he was at the top of The Athletic's Bruce Feldman's "Freaks List" which shines a spotlight on college football's top workout warriors. Smith didn't just excel in the weight room, though, he collapsed pockets and swallowed up running backs over the last two seasons. Getting the 323-pound Smith in the middle of the Dallas defensive line will help free up the Cowboys' athletic linebackers to make plays.
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Devante Bond: Cut by Dallas
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Bond (knee) was released by the Cowboys on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Bond was let go with a failed physical designation, as the 29-year-old is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered during last year's OTAs. He has not appeared in a game since 2020 but will try to find a new team for the upcoming campaign.
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Isaac Taylor-Stuart: Let go by Dallas
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The Cowboys waived Taylor-Stuart (ankle) with a failed physical designation Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Taylor-Stuart now will head to waivers after missing all of his rookie season in 2022 due to an ankle injury suffered in the preseason. The 23-year-old will try to get healthy and catch on with another team as he heads into his sophomore campaign.
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Cardinals' Carlos Watkins: Reaches deal with Cardinals
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Watkins signed with the Cardinals on Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Watkins, who has had the offseason to rebound from a calf injury he sustained in the divisional round of the playoffs, is a six-year veteran and has played for both the Texans and Cowboys. Last year in Dallas, he tallied 26 total tackles across 12 games and 270 defensive snaps. He figures to occupy a rotational role along the defensive line with his new team.
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Cowboys' Johnathan Hankins: Returning to Dallas
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Hankins agreed to a one-year deal with the Cowboys on Wednesday, Jordan Schultz of TheScore.com reports.
After he was acquired from the Raiders last October, Hankins appeared in five games and took 107 snaps on defense for Dallas, finishing with 10 tackles. Hankins is likely to garner a similar rotational role in 2023, but Dallas may add more pieces to its defensive line this offseason.
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Cowboys' Takkarist McKinley: Inks one-year deal with Dallas
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McKinley agreed to a one-year deal with Dallas on Wednesday, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.
McKinley was cut by the Rams in mid-October and signed a practice-squad deal with Dallas a month later. He didn't make any appearances for the Cowboys down the stretch, but he appears to have made enough of an impression in practices to get a chance to compete for a roster spot in 2023. The 2017 first-round pick recorded 16.5 sacks over his first three seasons in Atlanta, but he has just 3.5 across the past three campaigns.
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Cowboys' Dante Fowler: Staying in Dallas
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Fowler re-signed with the Cowboys on a one-year deal Tuesday, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Fowler will stay in Dallas for next season after registering 27 tackles (22 solo) and six sacks last year despite playing just 329 defensive snaps, the second-lowest mark of his career. The 28-year-old served as a rotational pass rusher behind DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong and Micah Parsons in 2022 and will likely have a similar role for the upcoming campaign.
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Cowboys' C.J. Goodwin: Signs with Dallas
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Goodwin and the Cowboys agreed to a contract Friday.
Goodwin has spent the last five seasons with the Cowboys and will now be returning for a sixth. The cornerback played exclusively on the special-teams unit in 2022, recording eight tackles and forcing a fumble. He'll likely slot into a similar role once again in 2023.
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Cowboys' Leighton Vander Esch: Staying in Dallas
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Vander Esch is set to re-sign a two-year deal with $11 million with the Cowboys, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Vander Esch missed three games last year and 17 games over the past four seasons, but he's been a strong run defender for the Cowboys. Although he's never come close to matching the 140 tackles he had as a rookie, the 90 stops he posted in 2022 represented the second-best season of his career. Going into his age-27 season, he'll remain an anchor for the team at middle linebacker.
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Cowboys' Donovan Wilson: Agrees to re-sign with Dallas
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Wilson agreed Tuesday to re-sign with the Cowboys on a three-year deal worth up to $24 million with $13.5 million guaranteed, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Wilson bounced back from an injury-plagued 2021 and posted a career-best campaign in 2022, totaling 101 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception across 17 regular-season appearances. The 2019 sixth-round pick parlayed his strong play into a sizable payday and should be a quality IDP option again in 2023. Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker (thumb) are both under contract through 2023, but as long as Wilson is healthy, he should be able to carve out a solid role in Dallas' stacked secondary.
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Texans' Kendall Sheffield: Signs with Houston
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The Texans signed Sheffield on Friday.
Sheffield was selected by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 2019 draft and appeared in 38 contests over three seasons before being waived following the 2021 campaign. He was claimed by Houston in May but let go in October and remained a free agent for the remainder of the season. He'll get another chance to spend time with Houston during the offseason and compete for a roster spot heading into training camp.
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Cowboys' Malik Jefferson: Signs new deal with Dallas
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Jackson signed a reserve/future contract with the Cowboys on Wednesday.
Jefferson joined Dallas last offseason and failed to appear in a game during the 2022 campaign, but he'll have another shot to secure an active roster spot in 2023. The 26-year-old has operated mostly as a special-teams option over his five-year professional career.
