The 6-3 Atlanta Falcons were heads and shoulders better than the 3-5 Dallas Cowboys in Week 9, winning their matchup 27-21 in a contest that wasn't as close as the scoreboard indicated.
With the season appearing to be slipping away, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said postgame that Dallas "has some things in the mix" before the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
"We'll probably do a couple things this week," Jones said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I'm a long way from being dismayed about this team this year."
It's been hard for the Cowboys to play defense without their top edge rushers (three-time All-Pro Micah Parsons, four-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence, Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland) and 2023 first-team All-Pro DaRon Bland, who led the NFL with nine interceptions, including an NFL single-season record five pick-sixes.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott also suffered hamstring and hand injuries that knocked him out in the fourth quarter of Week 9, and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb battled through an apparent right shoulder injury as well. No. 2 wide receiver Brandin Cooks is currently on injured reserve with a knee injury. Dallas has an incredible amount of holes to plug just days away from the trade deadline.
CBS Sports asked Prescott if the 2024 Cowboys need a similar type of impact trade to spark the current Dallas bunch following its 47-9 Week 6 home loss against the Detroit Lions that dropped the Cowboys' record to 3-3 at the time, but the quarterback didn't think so as it pertained to his current receiving core.
"They're two different teams. Referencing that team, I was just saying we were 3-5 before we got rolling. Don't plan on being 3-5 with this team," Prescott said postgame. "However, that's up to the front office. You know what I mean. I've got a lot of confidence in the guys we've got in the locker room, young guys coming on. You see [Jalen] Tolbert, play-in and play-out, day-in and day-out, game-in and game-out, getting better, making plays. We'll get Brandin Cooks back healthy. Leave it up to those guys. My job is to make sure that I continue to push the locker room. As I said, make sure they understand their role and how to be better in their role."
Now that the Cowboys are indeed 3-5, here are three trades for Jones' consideration with the Cowboys playoff chances slipping away and three tough matchups ahead against the Philadelphia Eagles (Week 10), against the Houston Texans (Week 11) and at the Washington Commanders (Week 12). A few trade deadline additions likely won't cure the multi-layered holes Dallas possesses, but if Jones is hellbent on making deals, here are three he could make.
Defensive tackle help
Transaction intent: Buying
Dallas' defense has been a shell of itself in 2024 when looking back at the Cowboys' three consecutive years with 12 wins from 2021 to 2023. The Cowboys led the league with 93 takeaways in their three seasons under then-defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who is now the head coach of the Washington Commanders, but under new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in 2024, Dallas has only six in eight games, tied for the third-fewest in the league entering Sunday's afternoon games.
There are many issues across the Cowboys defense that is the third-worst scoring defense in the league, allowing an average of 28.1 points per game, the second-most in the NFL this season. A lack of fundamentals is one, as its 89 missed tackles are the sixth-most in the league entering Sunday's afternoon games. However, its Achilles heel is in its defensive front, where the Cowboys current defensive tackles simply aren't getting the job done. Out of 118 qualified defensive tackles in the NFL this season entering Week 9, PFF has Osa Odighizuwa graded 61st (58.9 PFF defensive grade), Linval Joseph graded 95th (49.1 PFF defensive grade) and 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith graded dead last at 118th (30.8 PFF defensive grade). On a related note, the Cowboys are allowing 147.8 rushing yards per game this season, the third-most in the NFL.
Not getting any push up front in the middle of a defensive line limits the effectiveness a pass rush and secondary can have, which have been two areas of strength for the Cowboys in years past with edge rusher Micah Parsons (three), cornerback DaRon Bland (2023 first team) and cornerback Trevon Diggs (2021 first team) all earning All-Pro nods since 2021.
That's why it would make all the sense in the world for Jones to trade for Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill. Hill is a 29-year-old, seven-year NFL veteran who began his career as a third-round pick of the New York Giants in 2018. His PFF defensive grade ranks 12th overall (72.8) among qualified NFL defensive tackles in 2024, and his PFF run defense grade of 68.3 also ranks 12th.
He is also entering the final season of a three-year, $30 million contract for the Bengals, who are off to a 4-5 start this season. Not having future financial commitments is something Jones loves. If he can acquire Hill for the cost of sixth- or seventh-round pick, he should make the move.
Help in the receiving core
Transaction intent: Buying
Offensive line aid could also work here, but head coach Mike McCarthy has said he feels offensive line continuity and touches can help jumpstart his NFL-worst ground game that is averaging just 82.0 rushing yards per game, the second-fewest in the NFL. After Jones invested a first-round pick into offensive tackle Tyler Guyton, McCarthy is working to continue to develop him at left tackle as he heals from a knee injury he suffered in Week 5. Then the Cowboys have Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith solidified at that interior position and working next to third-round rookie center Cooper Beebe. That's where his front five have the most banked reps as a unit from the offseason to today. It also makes more sense for Dallas to draft a running back from a great 2025 draft class instead of trade for one given the shorter shelf life of the position.
With 31-year-old, 11-year veteran wideout Brandin Cooks on injured reserve with a knee injury, Dallas could use some juice at receiver outside of 2023 first-team All-Pro CeeDee Lamb despite Prescott's aforementioned remarks about his receiving core. The Cowboys pass-catchers' 3.0 average yards of separation is the second-lowest in the NFL, and so naturally Prescott's 22.5% tight window throw rate is the highest in the NFL, according to the league's Next Gen Stats.
Acquiring New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams wouldn't be an inspiring addition, but it could help in the jump ball and red zone departments. A third down drop by the 5'9, 153-pound KaVontae Turpin at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8 comes to mind. Having a 6'4, 218-pound Williams by on the receiving end of those downfield targets could make a noticeable difference. Williams is entering the final year of his current contract, something Jones will appreciate as he has been clear about wanting to have plenty of cap space for 2025. If Dallas can make a deal with the Jets of a sixth or seventh-round pick, the move makes sense if the Cowboys still truly want to make a playoff push this year.
Edge rusher depth
As discussed earlier, the Cowboys have been snake-bitten by injuries specifically at defensive in 2024. Three-time All-Pro Micah Parsons (ankle), four-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence (foot), Sam Williams (knee) and Marshawn Kneeland (knee) are all out and have missed extended time this season. Denver Broncos edge rusher Baron Browning, a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has missed four games this year, but he is healthy and playing now. Browning has nine-and-a-half sacks in 2022 and 2023 combined, but none in four games this year. At age 25 and being a former Day 2 pick, it's worth the dice roll by Jones to see if there is untapped potential available. He is in the final year of his rookie deal, so if this move didn't go to plan, the Cowboys could easily move on in the offseason.