Sources: 49ers trade Dee Winters to Cowboys for 5th-round pick - ESPN

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys traded for a linebacker Friday, acquiring Dee Winters from the San Francisco 49ers for pick No. 152 in the fifth round of the NFL draft, according to sources.

The Cowboys searched for a middle linebacker in free agency but were unable to land Quay Walker, Devin Lloyd and Nakobe Dean.

The Cowboys had trade discussions with a number of teams, including the Houston Texans for Azeez Al-Shaair and the Miami Dolphins for Jordan Brooks, according to sources, but the asking prices were too high.

The Cowboys could still add a linebacker in the remainder of the draft, but in Winters they have a young veteran with 27 starts under his belt. Before the trade, the Cowboys had only three off-ball linebackers on their roster in DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James and Justin Barron.

Had the Cowboys not been able to select pass rusher Malachi Lawrence with their second first-round pick on Thursday, then Georgia's C.J. Allen would have been one of their top targets for the pick, according to sources.

The 5-foot-11, 227-pound Winters was a sixth-round pick of the Niners in 2023 out of TCU. In 17 starts at weak-side linebacker last season, he was credited with 101 tackles and returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown.

San Francisco reunited with Dre Greenlaw in March after his release from the Denver Broncos. With Greenlaw expected to step back into the starting role and Winters entering the final year of his rookie deal, the Niners sacrificed some linebacker depth for an additional draft pick.

Behind starters Greenlaw and Fred Warner, the Niners also have Tatum Bethune, Luke Gifford, Garret Wallow and Nick Martin, last year's third-round selection as linebacker depth.

San Francisco entered the draft