The Dallas Cowboys’ defense has been a major disappointment in their first season under new DC Matt Eberflus. What was once the team’s calling card has quickly turned into its biggest liability.
After trading away superstar EDGE Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys’ pass rush and overall intensity have taken a nosedive.
The unit currently ranks near the bottom of the league in both total defense and scoring defense, and opposing quarterbacks have enjoyed clean pockets week after week.
With the trade deadline fast approaching and sitting with a 3-4-1 record, Dallas could look for help to stay in the playoff hunt, and a recent ESPN article by Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler highlighting the top 25 players who could be dealt provides several intriguing fits for a team desperate to stabilize its defense.
LB Logan Wilson, Cincinnati
Among Bowen and Fowler’s top trade candidates, Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson stands out as a natural fit for the Cowboys.
Cincinnati has been leaning toward younger options at the position, making Wilson available, and his blend of range and coverage ability would immediately upgrade Dallas’ second level.
Wilson has consistently been one of the NFL’s most complete linebackers, capable of reading passing lanes, dropping into zone coverage, and creating turnovers.
With Dallas struggling to cover tight ends and running backs out of the backfield, his presence would bring much-needed balance to Eberflus’ scheme.
Wilson’s arrival would also provide leadership and reliability for a defense that has lacked both since Parsons’ departure.
Instead of relying solely on an unpredictable pass rush, Eberflus could deploy Wilson as a stabilizing force who improves the unit’s communication and consistency.
His ability to handle the middle of the field would help mask the Cowboys’ coverage breakdowns and create a more disciplined identity on defense.
CB Alontae Taylor, New Orleans
Another name that makes perfect sense for Dallas is cornerback Alontae Taylor of the New Orleans Saints. Bowen and Fowler noted his versatility as a key reason multiple teams have shown interest, including the Cowboys.
Taylor can play both outside and in the slot, a trait that fits perfectly with Eberflus’ need for flexible defensive backs.
The Cowboys’ secondary has been shredded by big plays this season, and their inability to contain opposing receivers in space has cost them several close games.
Taylor’s physicality and agility would allow him to line up against a wide range of receivers, giving Dallas a player capable of handling various coverage responsibilities.
With Eberflus favoring zone-match principles that require quick reads and reactive instincts, Taylor’s skill set would make him an ideal addition.
He would help reduce explosive plays, shore up the slot coverage issues, and allow the Cowboys to move DaRon Bland and (maybe?) Trevon Diggs more strategically across the formation.
LB Christian Harris, Houston
A more developmental but equally intriguing option is Houston Texans linebacker Christian Harris. Still just 24 years old, Harris offers youth and athleticism that the Cowboys could build around.
He has flashed as a downhill tackler and run-defender, even if his coverage instincts remain a work in progress.
The Texans appear open to moving him, and for Dallas, the acquisition would bring long-term upside at a relatively low cost.
Harris’ addition would strengthen the Cowboys’ run defense, which has been gashed repeatedly through the middle this season.
He could step in immediately as an early-down player while growing into a more complete linebacker under Eberflus’ tutelage.
Dallas doesn’t just need veteran stopgaps. They need foundational pieces to reshape a defense that has lost its identity. Harris offers that chance.
Final Thoughts
Bowen and Fowler’s ESPN list outlines several defenders who could realistically change uniforms before the deadline, and the Cowboys should be among the most aggressive suitors.
Logan Wilson, Alontae Taylor, and Christian Harris each fill a different but vital need: leadership, coverage flexibility, and young athleticism.
With their season teetering and the defense searching for answers, Dallas has no choice but to explore the market, because if they don’t, their playoff hopes could fade before November arrives.
Good suggestions and it would provide them their tryouts for next year. We will still have too many holes to fill by this or next year on defense. There isn’t a single spot on the defense that looks promising except Ez, Osi, and maybe Shemar. The players you might restore at least depth if not starters and we need both. The injuries concerns about Overshown (who is great as far as splash plays when he’s on field), Revel, Diggs and Bland just aren’t particularly promising as far as their return to form. The defense is getting setback for at least another year or two by recent draft busts of the defensive ends (except Ez, jury is still out) and Mazi’s picks. Except OTs, I’m in favor of using next years picks (at least the first 3 on defense unless they are sure about an OT prospect). Hopefully, one of the backup OTs progress. But, Steele’s salary is too much and his play too low to keep him and Guyton is growing close to Mazi as far as bust likelihood.
What your not understanding is that our players on defense is not the problem, it’s the scheme that our defensive coordinator is running!! We have really good corners, including Diggs, but they need to be playing man coverage, not zone coverage!! And because Eberflus chooses to keep running zone coverage even though he knows it doesn’t work, it messes up our defensive line too, because the corners are always 4 or 5, maybe more yards away from the receiver, which means the QB can get the ball out quick, which means our defensive line don’t have time to get to the QB!! Our defense is loaded with talent, but the scheme isn’t allowing the players to be their best!! So we don’t need players at every spot on defense, we just need a defensive coordinator that will stop running the same old good for nothing zone coverage!! And your wrong about Mazi too!! He’s not a bust!! He just hasn’t been able to get into NFL form because from the time he was drafted up until now, he has been asked to change his weight every year, while at the same time learn a new scheme!! There’s no player in the NFL that would have to go through that much change every year for his entire NFL career gonna come out looking like the player they were supposed to be!! Mazi played a certain way in college, at a certain weight, and he was great the whole time he was in college, but he hasn’t gotten to play that way not once since being drafted!! His first year, Dan Quinn made Mazi lose a bunch of weight for some stupid reason, and it didn’t work, then Zimmer came in last year and made Mazi gain all the weight back, and it 6 actually worked, it just took until around week 10 for Mazi to get used to playing with the weight up again, but he did start playing the way he should’ve been, but then Eberflus comes in this year and makes Mazi lose all that weight again and now he has to learn how to play while playing at a lighter weight AGAIN!! That’s why he hasn’t been as good as he should be, not because he’s a bust!! I guarantee if a defensive coordinator would come in and make Mazi put the weight on that he weighed in college, and let him play at that weight for a whole season, by the end of the season you’ll see him getting better, and then by the halfway point in the 2nd season, he’ll be the player he was in college!! But the only defensive coordinator that seemed to be smart enough to realize that was Mike Zimmer, and he didn’t get to stay long enough to prove it!! With all the stuff you said, the only thing I agree with is that we shouldn’t keep Steele!! But Guyton hasn’t been playing long enough to know anything yet!! He hasn’t even got the chance to play a full season without getting injured yet, so I wouldn’t jump to him being a bust either!! This front office are usually good with drafting offensive linemen in the 1st round, so I would give him time to finish developing!! Everybody knew he was still raw, so he’s not gonna come out at be an all pro right away!! He’s gonna need a little time!! But yeah, everything I said is right on, all you have to do is pay attention to the games and you’ll see that we have a really good defense, they’re just stuck in a scheme they don’t fit in!! And it shows in those rare occasions when Eberflus decides to run more man coverage!! You’ll see!!
I hope your right about Mazi. He is likely to receive another DC next year, so it will be 4 in 4 years. I agree the coaches recommending weight loss instead a heavier playing weight made bad choices. He is not ever going to be a 3-T. Sam Williams is rated last by PFF amongst DEs. I also see no burst from the I thought he had promise when playing in other years. I just don’t care scheme he in this because he shows no burst. He is a bust. You are right about the CBs need man to man and I wish Al Harris had been kept to coach them up. About Guyton, I hope your right. I don’t regard him as a bust, yet. Kneeland doesn’t impress either and seeming lacks burst. I appreciated your thoughts, agreed with many.
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s it won’t make any sense for Jerry Jones to make any trades the Cowboys still won’t make the playoffs Jerry Jones better focus on the N.F.L. draft in 2026
It don’t make any sense for you to make your ridiculous comments, but you still make them don’t you!?
It would be nice to get those players, but it’s not gonna do any good as long as Eberflus keeps calling the same old stupid zone coverage crap!! Running zone coverage is just messing up the whole defense!! None of our corners are good in zone coverage, and since zone coverage let’s the other teams QB get rid of the ball quicker, it don’t give our defensive line enough time to get to the QB!! So as much as I would like to get these players, especially Logan Wilson, I don’t think it will do any good until Eberflus changes his stupid scheme!!