Updates: Stephens recovering as expected, overshown

:45 p.m. — Rookies LB DeMarvion Overshown and TE John Stephens Jr. remain on track to recover from their respective torn ACL injuries suffered in the 2023 preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, as head coach Mike McCarthy said earlier this week that he is looking to get them each back by training camp.

They look great,” McCarthy said. “They’re crushing it in the rehab. Those guys, they all work out together. The weight that they all needed in the weight room, that definitely will be a benefit of going through a year of rehab. I’m hopeful we can get them on the field sooner than later but I look for those guys to make an impact starting in training camp.”

Stephens was on track to make the 53-man roster after being signed as an undrafted free agent in the hours following the 2023 draft, while Overshown would’ve played a major role at linebacker in his rookie year. Both will add to a youthful position room in 2024.

:04 a.m. – Always the optimist, owner/GM Jerry Jones said this weekend at the NFL Owners Meetings in Orlando that he is confident the Cowboys have already improved their linebacker position. Not only did they sign Eric Kendricks, a nine-year vet that knows Mike Zimmer’s system inside out, but the return of a third-round pick who missed all of last year.

When asked about improving the run defense, Jones said DeMarvion Overshown is expected to make a big difference. The 2023 third-round pick missed all of last year with a torn ACL injury he suffered in the preseason. The combo of Overshown and Kendricks is what Jones is counting on to help a run defense that has ranked 16th and 17th the last two seasons.

“Now, can you manage to stop the run better than you did the last couple of years?” Jones said of those two additions. “It’s down to those kinds of things.”

9:30 a.m. — The exodus of Dallas Cowboys players heading to the Washington Commanders to reunite with Dan Quinn was halted by Jourdan Lewis and CJ Goodwin, but Noah Igbinoghene has reignited it.

The former first-round pick is expected to sign with the Commanders, per multiple reports, ending his short stay in Dallas.

Igbinoghene arrived in Dallas by way of a trade with the Miami Dolphins last season that sent former second-round pick Kelvin Joseph to South Florida in exchange for that team’s former first-round pick.

The former would earn defensive game reps early in his stay, along with playing a role on special teams, but the majority of his short stint in Dallas was spent on the inactives list. Igbinoghene scored the first touchdown of the season in 2023, returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown in season-opener against the Giants.

Igbinoghene becomes the fourth player to move from the Cowboys to Commanders this offseason, joining Durance Armstrong, Tyler Biadasz and Dante Fowler.

10:18 a.m. — In the first few days of free agency, it was clear that Dan Quinn was targeting former players he coached in Dallas to join him in Washington. We’ve seen three players – Tyler Biadasz, Dante Fowler and Durance Armstrong – all sign with the Commanders.

Well, it seems as if Mike Zimmer can play the game, too. Zimmer, the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator to replace Quinn, likely had a big hand in convincing linebacker Eric Kendricks to agree on a deal in Dallas. Kendricks reportedly agreed to terms early in the week with the 49ers but switched to the Cowboys.

1. He spent last season with the Chargers, but the previous eight in Minnesota, coached by Zimmer as the head coach.