Tag: DeMarvion Overshown

Shoulder surgeries continue disappointing career starts of Cowboys’ Smith, Schoonmaker

Dallas revealed their two top draft picks from 2023 are going to be out for the duration of the offseason calendar. | From @ArmyChiefW3

This past season was essentially a wash for the Cowboys’ 2023 draft class. None of the first three players selected for the club were able to make a significant impact last year, a rare occasion for a club with a reputation for knocking drafts out the park. Second-year impact is now the focus, but that hasn’t gotten off to a great start, either.

Talking at the NFL’s spring league meetings, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy revealed that 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith underwent shoulder surgery this offseason. The injury news didn’t stop there as he revealed second-round tight end Luke Schoonmaker also had shoulder surgery. The Michigan product injured himself during training and underwent the procedure last week.

Smith underwent the surgery shortly after the season concluded and is He’s expected to miss anywhere between four-to-six months, making him unavailable to participate in upcoming OTAs and mini camps.

Dallas used the 26th overall pick on the massive defensive tackle from Michigan in hopes of shoring up their run defense. His rookie season did not go as planned and his play was overshadowed by weight loss questions. Something McCarthy also addressed on the second day of the league gatherings.

Smith played in all 17 games his rookie season but only lined up for 28% of the overall snaps. With the Cowboys reluctant to bring in any outside free agents, expecting Smith to play a significant role in year two has social media in an uproar. This is especially true after veteran defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins chose to sign with Seattle over Dallas.

Schoonmaker’s timeline is expected to be similar to that of Smith. The backup tight end caught eight passes for 65 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie season.

Both players will miss the majority of team activities but should be ready for training camp tentatively scheduled for late July.

Dallas lost third-round pick DeMarvion Overshown for the season in the final preseason game last year with a torn left ACL. Before the injury, the linebacker turned heads during training camp which could have given this class a different feel.

Cowboys’ DeMarvion Overshown’s lost season, 2024 fit, and long-term outlook

The Cowboys most promising rookie was lost before the season began but there’s reason for optimism going forward even if the path is unclear, says @ReidDHanson.

DeMarvion Overshown’s professional career barely off the ground before an ACL injury in the preseason landed the third-round pick on season-ending IR. Up until that moment, things were looking up for the linebacker out of Texas.

Overshown was often seen of as a man without a position in college. Bouncing between safety and linebacker, Overshown appeared to be a hybrid of sorts. He was a football player, without question, but scouts were split on what role exactly he’d play in the NFL.

His 6-foot-3 229-pound frame allowed him to exist in multiple capacities, and the Cowboys had a growing reputation for making it work with nontraditionally built box players.

Despite his relatively lean frame and previous experience at the safety position, Overshown played like a true thumper in Cowboys camp. He exploded to holes, attacking his run fits like a man with a grudge.

His sideline-to-sideline acumen translated perfectly to the pro game. He didn’t look like a rookie adapting to the speed of the competition in any way. In fact, his speed popped off the screen in training camp and preseason action.

A rookie in name only, Overshown immediately upgraded the overall IQ of the defense. He had a veteran sense to him that made him a leader on the field, coaching staff darling, and fan favorite. Overshown was even taking turns wearing the green dot, which indicates he was relaying defensive plays on the field.

For a player who never saw the field in the regular season, the hype was enormous, but seemingly justified.

Fixer Upper: Cowboys LB corps a rebuild project worthy of DIY TV

The Cowboys will need to make multiple additions to the LB group in 2024, leaning on both free agency as well as the NFL draft. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys’ issues at the linebacker position have been well-documented. A shallow position group coupled with a major injuries atop the depth chart resulted in disaster for Dallas last season. Things were never the same once Leighton Vander Esch joined DeMarvion Overshown on IR.

The Cowboys were forced to lean on the safety group far too often, exposing their run defense and overworking their nickel group. It resulted in a late season collapse that extended into the playoffs.  Unlike other many offseasons, the situation is unlikely to correct itself through the natural healing process.

Vander Esch’s neck injury, coupled with his gaudy medical history, make him seem a longshot to return in 2024. Overshown may be expecting a full recovery from his preseason ACL tear but the same was said of Terence Steele and Michael Gallup once upon a time. Cautious optimism is probably the responsible way to view Overshown.

Additionally, Marquese Bell is likely to bounce back to his natural position of safety. He made the transition to LB out of utter desperation, but at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, he’s better suited for a box safety role again. And with Jayron Kearse likely to leave in free agency, the opportunity for Bell to claim a top-3 safety role will be there for the taking.

Damone Clark will return for his third season with the Cowboys, but his 2023 was largely underwhelming. Like everyone else, he was leaned on too much and forced into too many ill-fitting roles.

So the two, starting-caliber LBs expected to return in 2024 both have some obstacles to overcome: Overshown a significant knee injury and Clark some inconsistent play.

And all of that is based on the scheme of the departed defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. The needs may expand to three starting-quality LBs depending on who assumes the title next. Either way, major moves will be needed in Dallas just to reach bare minimum levels.

Given the situation, the Cowboys will likely need to utilize both free agency and the draft to build out the unit.

Off-ball LB tends to be a plug and play position so Dallas should lean on the draft to do the heavy lifting.

It’s noteworthy that of PFF’s top-20 graded LBs last season, 15 of them are 27-years-old or younger. It’s a position that often burns out quickly so any veteran signing should be done with caution.

Since the Cowboys probably need to find a starter in the 2024 draft, there’s a good chance they’ll use a top-100 pick to address the position. But they need to be prepared for anything since sometimes the draft doesn’t fall the way a team thinks it will. That requires Dallas to, at the very least, pick up a serviceable option in free agency.

Expect major changes this offseason.

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The 4 most important 2nd-year players for the Cowboys in 2024

The Cowboys didn’t get a ton out of their draft class, but these players will need to play big in their second seasons. | From @TimLettiero

After a strong 2022 class that saw multiple draftees take starting roles, the Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 class left a lot to be desired. Injuries, questionable development strategies and a flurry of other miscellaneous setbacks have lined this crop of players as ones to forget, but thankfully, time is on their side.

Dallas is facing an offseason filled with tough decisions, and because defections are inevitable, success will require younger players to step up. The pressure is on the 2023 class. Here are the four most important second-year names to watch in the 2024 season.

Here’s who the Cowboys should’ve drafted in 2023 for immediate help

A look at what would have happened if Dallas knew how rookies would play early in their careers and focused on winning now with their draft haul. A way-too-soon Cowboys 2023 redraft shows who could’ve helped. | From @KDDrummondNFL

While normally it takes multiple seasons to judge a draft class, that isn’t necessarily the case for every situation. One of those is the 2023 Dallas Cowboys, who built themselves to compete for a championship this year.

Dallas’ draft class may have long term potential, but with the club already sitting in the fringe when it comes to the No. 1 seed race, it isn’t tough to see how a quicker impactful class could have been beneficial.

So while Mazi Smith, Luke Schoonmaker, Deuce Vaughn and an injured DeMarvion Overshown can eventually prove their worth, here’s a collection of rookies who were available and are thriving at positions Dallas could use some help.

Here’s a Cowboys-specific 2023 redraft from players who were available at the time Dallas picked, but they passed up on. Dallas had eight picks from their haul, how many of those players made it back to the organization?

Where does the Cowboys’ draft class stand ahead of cutdown day?

Questions surrounded the 2023 class yet as cutdown day approaches things look promising for each member’s chances. From @ArmyChiefW3

It has been said one must wait three years in order to properly gauge how well a team’s draft class fared. Growth is part of the process, but immediate impact by special players reinvigorates fanbases and quickly changes the season’s outlook. Take the rookie seasons of QB Dak Prescott and RB Ezekiel Elliott for obvious examples.

While the three-year mark is a nice guideline, it is far from a rule and honestly, a lot less fun. Gauging a player with draft grades sets a baseline of expectations which are fun to track throughout a player’s career.

While immediate impact is always desired, having the patience to trust the developmental program may be the most beneficial support a young player can have. So where do the players from the Cowboys 2023 draft class currently stand before rosters are trimmed to 53?

Cowboys lose 2 rookies to season-ending injuries

The Dallas Cowboys saw two promising rookies go down for the season with knee injuries in the second preseason game

The Dallas Cowboys took a big hit in their second preseason game, a 22-14 loss in Seattle to the Seahawks. Two promising rookies suffered torn ACLs and will now miss their inaugural NFL seasons.

The bigger loss is linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. The No. 90 overall pick from Texas, Overshown had been playing well throughout training camp, per Cowboys Wire,

The third-round draft pick out of Texas had been “climbing the charts,” according to Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and was expected to be a major contributor to the Dallas defense this year.

Later in the game, the Cowboys lost tight end John Stephens. An undrafted rookie from Louisiana, the 6-5, 215-pound Stephens was converting from being a college wide receiver and was outshining some vets already.

Here’s hoping for a successful surgery and full recovery for Overshown and Stephens. Hopefully we will see them in Dallas in 2024.

Cowboys lose 2 rising stars for ’23 season to ACL tears

From ToddBrock24f7: LB DeMarvion Overshown and TE John Stephens Jr. will see their rookie seasons end with ACL tears suffered on the turf in Seattle.

When it rains, it pours. Especially in Seattle.

The Cowboys fell in their second preseason game to the Seahawks by a 22-14 score, but their personnel losses are far more devastating, with much longer repercussions.

Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and tight end John Stephens Jr., both rookies who had turned in very impressive training camp performances, suffered torn ACLs at Lumen Field on Saturday night.

Both rookies underwent MRIs on Sunday upon returning to the Metroplex; both are now lost for the entire 2023 season.

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‘You say your prayers’: Cowboys expecting worst on LB DeMarvion Overshown’s injury

From @ToddBrock24f7: Overshown’s coaches and teammates sounded as if they were bracing for the worst news regarding the rookie’s knee injury suffered in Seattle.

The wins and losses don’t carry over, but preseason games most definitely matter. They are everything to the young men trying to land a job and continue their dreams of playing the sport they love at the highest possible level.

And the tough breaks that can come with playing football- even when the score supposedly doesn’t count- can hurt just the same.

As of Sunday afternoon, the Cowboys still await official word on MRI test results concerning rookie linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and his left knee, but reading between the lines of comments made by those in the locker room, the team is bracing for bad news.

“You never want to see any of your guys get hurt. That’s what’s so tough about these games,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters immediately after the 22-18 exhibition loss in Seattle. “You say your prayers, and hopefully the imaging points in the right direction. He’s had an incredible camp. We talk about him, it seems like, almost every other day [in these press conferences]. I just hope he’s okay.”

Prayers is not a word that’s thrown around lightly by the professionals in these kinds of moments. But the fact that the 23-year-old Texas native had to be carted off the field speaks to the apparent severity of his injury, which he suffered after making a tackle in the first quarter of Saturday night’s contest.

Overshown walked to the sideline on his own and was even seen walking to the locker room in street clothes after the game. But the subdued tone with which his coaches and teammates answered questions about his status certainly casts tremendous doubt on what was expected to be a strong first-year campaign for the former Longhorn.

“He was climbing the charts,” McCarthy explained. “He showed up right away in the offseason program. You could see it when we got to Oxnard, his ability to fly around. He has excellent command for a young player.”

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While official results from that MRI are not yet known, Overshown himself was already looking for silver linings in the early morning hours of Sunday, reminding his social media followers that he is “Still Blessed.”

As for his Cowboys teammates, linebackers Devin Harper, Jabril Cox, and maybe rookie Isaiah Land likely stand to see a lot more action as the preseason winds down. Damone Clark, already expected to play a huge role in just his second season, sounded as if the entire Dallas linebacker corps is preparing to be another man down for a while. (Malik Jefferson sustained a foot injury last week.)

Although Clark, too, was offering some words of hope to a higher power.

“Injuries are a part of the game,” he reminded after the loss. “All we can do is just pray, leave it in God’s hands, and keep moving forward.”

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Cowboys rookie LB DeMarvion Overshown carted off vs Seahawks

The rookie from Texas was able to walk off the field but was down for a while and is currently undergoing further evaluation. | From @KDDrummndNFL

Update: It is feared that Overshown has torn his right ACL. MRI results pending.

The Cowboys have been fortunate thus far in the build up to the season, avoiding the multitude of injuries that can derail a campaign before it starts. On Saturday night though, the club and fans had to hold their breath as a 2023 draft pick was down on the ground for too long. Rookie linebacker DeMarvion Overshown made a tackle on the second drive of the game but was unable to get to his feet along the sideline.

Overshown was eventually able to walk off on his own, which is a positive sign, but took the cart into the locker room for further evaluation. Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com reported he is out for the game, but noted the club is going to be quick to rule players out during the preseason.

Overshown was a third-round pick out of The University of Texas and had a stellar debut last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He seems to have caught on quickly and if healthy would be a rotational piece for Dan Quinn’s defense early in the season while clocking special teams snaps as well.