Veteran Cowboys Linebacker Damien Wilson May Not Make 2024 Roster
According to Cowboys Wire, veteran Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damien Wilson may not be on the team by the time the regular season begins in September. K.D. Drummond has listed Wilson among 11 Cowboys veterans in danger of not making the 2024 roster. Wilson, 31, rejoined the Cowboys practice squad towards the end of the 2023 season after initially spending the first four seasons of his career (2015-2018) with Dallas.
Wilson is currently at the bottom of the linebacker depth chart, making his position on the 53-man roster uncertain. “Wilson, an original Cowboys draft pick, went elsewhere and found glory, winning a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs,” Drummond wrote on July 8. “Out of the league, Dallas signed him down the stretch of 2023 when the ranks were depleted and brought him back this offseason. He’s never worked with Zimmer and is probably around LB5 or LB6, so if any of the youngsters behind him show up he could be at risk.”
Damien Wilson’s Career Journey
Initially drafted by the Cowboys in 2015 as a fourth-round pick, Wilson spent most of his career as a starting linebacker. After a rookie season as a reserve, he started six games in 2016, recording 34 tackles, and started 16 games over his final two seasons with Dallas. Wilson then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he emerged as a full-time starter, posting a career-best 81 tackles and winning a Super Bowl in the 2020 season.
Wilson continued his career with a season in Jacksonville, posting 106 tackles and 3 sacks, ranking second on the team. After spending the 2022 season with the Carolina Panthers, Wilson did not play a single game during the 2023 season before signing a practice squad contract with the Cowboys at the end of the regular season. Over his eight NFL seasons, Wilson has totaled 419 tackles and nine sacks in 127 games, with 73 starts.
Challenges for Making the Roster
The Cowboys signed UFL standout Willie Harvey Jr. in the offseason, posing a significant threat to Wilson’s roster spot. Harvey led the UFL in tackles with the St. Louis Battlehawks and was named to the All-UFL team. Additionally, the Cowboys have 2023 third-round pick DeMarvion Overshown, who missed his rookie season due to injury, along with fourth-year player Buddy Johnson and converted safety Markquese Bell.
While Wilson continuing his career with the Cowboys nearly a decade after being drafted would be a compelling story, it will be a challenge for him to secure a spot over the 28-year-old Harvey and other young players.