The Cowboys’ defense ranks last in the NFL with only four sacks, 13 QB hits, and 50 hurries. A trade for Saints defensive end Carl Granderson could transform their struggling pass rush.
Dallas’ Pass Rush Has Disappeared
The Dallas Cowboys’ defense has collapsed in 2025, and the numbers make it impossible to ignore. Through the opening month of the season, Dallas has produced just four sacks, thirteen quarterback hits, and fifty hurries.
That adds up to only sixty-seven total pressures, which leaves the Cowboys ranked dead last in the NFL. For a franchise that has long relied on its defensive front to set the tone, the falloff has been dramatic and costly.
Quarterbacks facing Dallas have been given clean pockets to operate from, and the results have been disastrous for the secondary.
Opposing passers are completing more than eighty percent of their throws, piling up over twelve hundred yards and ten touchdowns, while enjoying a near-perfect passer rating.
The lack of disruption at the line of scrimmage is the foundation of the Cowboys’ defensive struggles, and unless it is addressed, the season could continue to spiral downward.
Why Carl Granderson Fits the Need
The solution for Dallas has to start with a proven edge rusher who can actually finish plays, and Carl Granderson is exactly that.
With the New Orleans Saints, Granderson has quietly developed into one of the most reliable pass rushers in the league.
He has one eight-sack season and numerous five or more sack seasons, while regularly topping thirty hurries, showing both consistency and durability in one of football’s toughest roles.
Granderson combines length, urgency, and discipline, which makes him equally effective against the pass and the run.
For the Cowboys, that skill set is invaluable. They don’t need another developmental prospect or rotational piece; they need someone who can step into the starting lineup and immediately upgrade a unit that has been unable to get home.
Granderson is that type of player.
His track record proves that he is more than capable of delivering the sacks and hits that Dallas has been missing, and his presence would demand attention from opposing offensive lines in a way no current Cowboy edge rusher does.
How He Changes the Cowboys’ Defense
Dallas is averaging just one sack per week. That kind of production almost guarantees failure in today’s NFL, where games are increasingly decided by how well a defense can affect the quarterback.
Granderson has shown he can produce at a high level, and his addition would raise the floor of the entire front four.
The Cowboys have generated fifty hurries so far this year, but most of those plays have not impacted the rhythm of opposing quarterbacks, who are still completing passes with ease.
Granderson has proven that he can convert pressures into results, collapsing pockets and forcing throws off schedule.
Beyond his pass-rushing ability, Granderson also brings much-needed stability in run defense. Dallas has already missed forty-three tackles this season, an issue that has led to extended drives and explosive gains after contact.
Granderson plays with the kind of edge-setting consistency that prevents those lapses, forcing runs back inside and cleaning up opportunities when they present themselves.
His presence would allow the Cowboys’ linebackers and secondary to play faster and more aggressively without worrying about losing containment on the outside.
Why a Trade Makes Sense Now
The Saints are in a position where moving a veteran like Granderson is possible, and the Cowboys are in a position where acquiring him is almost essential.
New Orleans has been open to discussions about defensive pieces as it retools its roster, and Dallas has the draft capital to make a midseason deal work.
For the Cowboys, the real cost isn’t in the pick they’d have to give up but in what will happen if they do nothing.
Granderson Could Be the Turning Point
The Dallas Cowboys have an offensive roster built to compete in the NFC, but their defense has let them down at every turn. The statistics are brutal: just four sacks, thirteen quarterback hits, and fifty hurries, all of which add up to a league-worst pass rush.
Without immediate reinforcements, this season could slip away before midseason. Carl Granderson represents the type of move that can change that reality.
He is proven, productive, and versatile, and he addresses the exact problem that is currently sinking Dallas.
A trade for Granderson would not solve every issue on defense, but it would provide the Cowboys with the kind of reliable edge presence they desperately lack.
If Dallas wants to salvage its season and restore hope to its defense, the time to act is now, and Granderson is the player who can make that happen.
I don’t think he’ll be much help!! Clowney has stats that match Granderson, if not better, and even though he’s only played 1 game, he hasn’t shown anything yet!! And I don’t blame Clowney for it, I think it’s the scheme!! We have some good edge rushers on the team already, and I’m sure if they were in a different scheme, they would have a lot more sacks than they do now!! So I don’t think adding more will help anything, I just think that Eberflus needs to change up his scheme!! There’s players on the team that are saying they wish they could play a different scheme, but knows that they are stuck with Eberflus’ scheme, so they said they will just have to make the best out of it!! And I’ll go ahead and say that one of the corners is the one that said that!! He said he would rather play more man coverage, because he’s better at it, but he has to play the scheme that his coach wants him to play!! And I think that’s the same case with the defensive line!! If they did something different, it mite help, but he don’t wanna blitz or anything…. He just wants the front 4 to find a way to get pressure on their own, which is harder to do since there’s always 5 offensive linemen, plus TEs to chip them and a RB to block most of the time too!! That’s a lot of players for just 4 defensive linemen to get through!! That’s why I don’t think Granderson will be much help, if any at all!!
I just don’t see the point in trading away draft capital to make this team a little better. They’re not going anywhere this season. No deep postseason run is on the cards. I applaud Schotty’s approach to change the culture but it will take more than 1 offseason. In fact, I think it’s a fair argument to say we should be selling instead of buying. Play the young talent and let them learn. Continue building the defense through the draft and for crying out loud, let Agent 0 fully recover. Who are we kidding?