As the Nov. 10 trade deadline rapidly approaches, we're going to see the Dallas Cowboys connected to a lot of players who could become available.
There's a few reasons for that. One of them has to do with the fact that we've heard owner Jerry Jones say on numerous occasions that he's still open for business, even after a flurry of moves this past offseason and the blockbuster trade for Joey Porter Jr.
Another reason is the fact that the Cowboys' defense stinks. The offseason overhaul on that side of the ball that gave fans hope has not panned out at all, so the Cowboys can either sit back and hope it gets better (it won't) or try and make another big move or two and hope that will make a difference.
We suspect Jerry is going to take the latter approach, assuming a game-changing trade or two is actually available to him.
Cowboys linked to Josh Sweat in NFL insider's trade buzz
One of the many topics broached by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano in their weekly intel column was the trade deadline and possible candidates.
Fowler specifically mentions Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat as someone who at least one unnamed team executive is connecting to the Cowboys.
"As one team exec pointed out to me Tuesday, Josh Sweat to Dallas makes a lot of sense," Fowler said. "He fits Dallas' profile, and the Cowboys need edge-rush help. Sweat's Cardinals won Sunday, but they are not contention-adjacent just yet."
Why Cardinals should trade Josh Sweat
Fowler points out how Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort has been steadfast in his desire to keep Sweat, but that's probably just posturing because it makes all the sense in the world for the Cardinals to trade him.
Arizona isn't going anywhere this year. The Cardinals are in the midst of a rebuild and it's going to be a few years before they're competitive again, which is why trading a player who will turn 30 next year is a logical decision.
The Cardinals need draft capital badly to help boost the process of remaking their roster and trading an edge rusher with a history of strong production is a fantastic way to go about getting more.
Sweat could garner as much as a third-round pick if the market is robust enough, which we suspect it will be because of the premium there is on quality edge rushers.
Why Cowboys should trade for Josh Sweat
The Cowboys' pass-rush has been inadequate this season, and that has only exposed the issues in the secondary even more.
Through six contests, the Cowboys have just eight sacks, and 2.5 of those have come from edge rushers, with Malachi Lawrence and Rashan Gary having one and Donovan Ezeiruaku having 0.5.
Sweat is actually off to a slow start this season, but his two sacks are almost more than Dallas' entire edge rushers room combined.
Sweat, who won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, has a lengthy history of production with a pair of double-digit sack seasons and four campaigns with 7.5 or more.
When it comes to improving their edge rushers room, Dallas needs to swing big. Sweat could very well be the biggest fish available and Jerry should do whatever he can to land him.
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