Cowboys Eyeing Further Defensive Additions

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on Monday that the team would make at least one trade before Tuesday’s deadline. Jones delivered, acquiring linebacker Logan Wilson from the Bengals for a 2026 seventh-round pick. With just a few hours left until the 3 p.m. CT deadline, Jones may not be done yet.

Despite dropping to 3-5-1 with a 27-17 loss to the Cardinals on Monday, Jones hasn’t ruled out further additions. Jones told 105.3 The Fan that there are potential trades available that could benefit the Cowboys now and in the future (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). It doesn’t seem that the Cowboys have any interest in trading away anyone from their roster, however, per Machota.

Speaking to the media after Monday’s loss, Jones said, “I like our nuts and bolts a lot.”

If that’s true, the Cowboys may be less likely to move on from defensive tackle Mazi Smith, who’s reportedly a trade candidate. Smith was a 17-game starter last year, but he has mostly disappointed since Dallas took him 26th overall in the 2023 draft. The former Michigan Wolverine hasn’t started in any of his five appearances this year, and he has totaled just 89 defensive snaps and three tackles. The Cowboys made him a healthy inactive against the Cardinals.

Regardless of whether a change of scenery is in store for Smith, it seems likely that any more additions on Tuesday would come on the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys’ defense has been the worst in the NFC this year, and the Wilson pickup alone likely won’t be enough to orchestrate a dramatic turnaround. Cognizant of that, the Cowboys are continuing to work the phones looking for more defensive help, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports relays.

A report on Monday connected Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb to the Cowboys. As a pending free agent, Hendrickson would be a pure rental, though the Cowboys have the cap room to re-sign the pass-rushing menace to a lucrative multiyear deal. Chubb is under wraps through 2027, meaning he’s technically not a rental, but none of the $39.5MM he’s owed over the next two seasons is guaranteed.

There are other possibilities beyond Hendrickson and Chubb, and Jones previously indicated the Cowboys would consider adding players under control beyond 2025. With Jones willing to deal draft capital from the Micah Parsons blockbuster he pulled off with Green Bay before the season, Dallas remains a team to watch leading up to the deadline.