With the Dallas Cowboys' defensive overhaul failing miserably over the first five games of the season, the expectation is that the team will be active at the trade deadline.
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox agrees with that expectation, as he predicts the Cowboys are going to be among the most aggressive teams next month.
"The Cowboys made a splashy move for Williams at last year's deadline, and they've already traded for Porter and Rashan Gary since the start of the offseason. Unfortunately, Dallas' flurry of additions hasn't yielded a playoff-caliber defense," Knox wrote.
We don't really have to guess this will be the case because owner Jerry Jones has said on several occasions the team will continue to seek out deals to improve the defense.
And he has said so even after the recent trade for Joey Porter Jr. with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"I think the door is always open to get better. I know that's almost a cliche, but I'm never shut down from trying to get something that would really advance the needle, especially one that could do it now and into the future," Jones said.
The Athletic's Jonathan Jones even reported that Jones is not messing around when he says the Cowboys are open to doing more.
"They are running out of tradable resources to confront today’s problems," Jones stated. "But I’m told that won’t prevent Jerry Jones from making some sort of move if he feels it necessary before the Nov. 10 deadline."
Which position should Cowboys add to?
Edge rusher is far and away the position the Cowboys need to add to the most, although you can certainly make an argument for just about every position on the defense with how poorly the unit has performed this season.
Despite having 76 pressures over five games, according to Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys have only five sacks thanks to the inability to get home, which has only exposed a lackluster secondary even more.
Guys like Rashan Gary, Von Miller and Donovan Ezeiruk have been major disappointments, with Gary having one sack, Ezeiraku having 0.5 and Miller having none.
Rookie Malachi Lawrence just notched his first sack in Week 5, but we can't say we're totally surprised he is off to a quiet start because it was always assumed he'd need time to develop.
The Cowboys don't just need to add a body, either. They need a substantial addition at the position. The problem is top-notch edge rushers are rarely available, and if they are, they're costly.
But Jones has expressed a sense of urgency at his age and a willingness to mortgage the future for this year's team, so anything is possible for the Cowboys come November.
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