Dallas Cowboys add undrafted rookie free agent Hunter Luepke
The 2023 NFL Draft has officially wrapped up, but there are teams with needs to be filled. That is why the Dallas Cowboys have agreed to terms with former North Dakota State fullback Hunter Luepke. The news of the deal comes courtesy of NFL Networks Tom Pelissero, who broke the news via Twitter.
The Cowboys addressed several needs within the first seven rounds of the draft. On Thursday, in the first round, Dallas kept the evening routine on their behalf, sticking with the 26th selection where they picked up former Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Smith was a stalwart along the defensive line for the Wolverines during back-to-back College Football Playoff runs in 2021 and 2022. But he did run into some off-the-field issues stemming from a felony firearms charge in October.
In rounds two and three on Friday, the Cowboys went back to the Michigan wishing well with pick No. 58. Dallas took Wolverines tight end Luke Schoonmaker adding depth to their tight end position. And in the third, Dallas selected Longhorns’ linebacker DeMarvion Overshown from right up the road in Austin, TX.
Cowboys sign veteran starters, defensive stars to new deals
The 2023 offseason has been one of major changes for the Cowboys. Kicking things off, Mike McCarthy gave the coaching staff a re-vamp. The team opted not to renew the contracts of eight coaching staff members, including offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier.
After the staff departures, Dallas won big by holding on to defensive coordinator Dan Quinn for at least another season. They fought back against teams pursuing the former Falcons head coach for open top jobs. Then, McCarthy promoted Brian Schottenheimer to OC after revealing his plans to take over playcalling himself in 2023. They also assigned Scott Tolzein the role of quarterbacks coach.
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In an uncharacteristic move, the Cowboys were active from the jump in free agency. They signed safety Donovan Wilson, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, DE Dante Fowler, tackle Johnathan Hankins and franchise-tagged Tony Pollard to keep them off the free agency market.
Jerry Jones and his front office also executed trades that sent two 2023 fifth-round picks out of Dallas in exchange for former Texans wideout Brandin Cooks and former Colts cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
Dallas also signed outside free agents this offseason, picking up running back Ronald Jones, offensive lineman Chuma Edoga and long snapper Trent Sieg.
Notable names no longer with the Cowboys are TE Dalton Schultz, WR Noah Brown, OL Connor McGovern, DT Carlos Watkins and RB Ezekiel Elliott. Dallas released Elliott after seven seasons, saving major cap space for the 2023 season.