The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly far from done in the trade market, even after bringing in cornerback Joey Porter Jr. last week. Following a brutal 24-16 home loss to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night, a source told The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones that the Cowboys are ready to “turn over every stone in an attempt to get this thing fixed.” This suggests additional trades are possible, and honestly, they look like they need ’em.
Another Week, Another Defensive Disaster
Seriously, what is going on in Dallas? This team is sitting at 2-3 and third in the NFC East after getting embarrassed at home by a Buccaneers squad that hadn’t won a game all season. And get this: Tampa Bay was starting an undrafted rookie quarterback, Jalon Daniels! You’d think that’d be a gimme game, right? Nope. Dallas’ defense let the Bucs roll up 419 total yards, with a staggering 241 coming on the ground. Running back Bucky Irving went off for 165 rushing yards. This isn’t a new problem either, defense has been an issue for Dallas for multiple seasons. Right now, through five games, the Cowboys are ranked 31st in the entire NFL in total defense and 26th in scoring defense, giving up 27.2 points per game. That’s downright awful.
Porter Jr. Is Here, But the Problems Persist
It’s no secret owner and general manager Jerry Jones knows his defense is a mess. That’s why he got aggressive last week and traded for Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving up a 2028 second-round draft pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick. Porter Jr. actually suited up for Dallas’ 34-30 win over the Houston Texans last week, but he only played 25 defensive snaps while getting used to his new team. Then Thursday happened. Porter didn’t even play against the Bucs because of an illness, and surprise, surprise, the defense put on another terrible performance. It’s tough to say how much Porter Jr. will help once he’s fully integrated and playing a full game, but it’s clear the Cowboys still need help at linebacker and in the secondary, regardless. This team has traded for big-name defensive contributors the last two seasons, first Quinnen Williams and now Porter Jr., but honestly, it feels like they haven’t made any real progress. Are more trades really the answer?
So yeah, it’s pretty obvious bringing in guys like Porter Jr. and Quinnen Williams hasn’t magically fixed the Cowboys’ defensive woes. With their season already on the ropes at 2-3 and a defense that’s consistently among the league’s worst, you gotta wonder how many more “stones” Jerry Jones is willing to turn over. The pressure is cranked all the way up for Dallas to make some serious moves before this early season slump blows up into a full-blown disaster.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
Leave a Reply