If there is one certainty with the Dallas Cowboys this season, it's that their defense stinks.
Through six games, the Cowboys sport one of the worst units in the NFL. Dallas ranks 23rd against the pass, 32nd against the run, and the team is giving up the eighth-most points per game.
Dallas has problems at every level of the defense, but one of the most glaring issues is the pass-rush, which has mustered up just eight sacks, three of which came in Week 6.
And, of those eight sacks, only 2.5 of them have come from the team's edge rushers, so it goes without saying the Cowboys should be looking to add there before the trade deadline.
Cowboys, Dolphins linked as possible trade partners
In an article identifying 15 players who could get moved before the trade deadline on Nov. 10, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame listed Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Zach Sieler among them.
Verderame also mentioned the Cowboys as a potential fit for the veteran lineman.
"Sieler is an interesting trade chip. On one hand, he’s already 31 and he’s signed through 2029 with base salaries of $12.6 million, $15.4 million and $16.2 million, respectively. In short, he’s not cheap to acquire," Verderame wrote.
"Conversely, none of that money is guaranteed, and he could be traded for and then released for no dead cap charge if things don’t work out. For Miami, it makes sense to move on, but what’s the right price point? Since 2023, Sieler has 27.5 sacks."
"Potential fits: Lions, Cowboys," Verderame added.
Is Zach Sieler a fit for Cowboys?
Sieler has proven to be an effective pass-rusher during his career. He has 27.5 sacks dating back to 2023, and in that span he has tallied 10 sacks twice.
He has two sacks this season, which would be tied for the most on the team, and he had 5.5 in 2025.
The problem, however, is the 6-foot-6, 300-pound veteran is an interior lineman. Granted, he has lined up as an edge rusher, but that's in a 4-3 defense and the Cowboys run a 3-4, which means they need an outside linebacker, something Sieler is not.
Now, if the Cowboys were to completely strike out at the deadline on traditional outside linebackers and it's between someone like Sieler and nobody, Dallas might spring for a trade for him, but Miami would have to eat a ton of money for the Cowboys to consider it.
Sieler would amount to an upgrade over Otito Ogbonnia when it comes to pass-rush ability, and he has historically been a strong run defender, although he has struggled mightily in that area this season, as evidenced by his Pro Football Focus grade of 31.6.
An interior trio of Sieler, Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams would be quite formidable and no doubt one of the best in the NFL, and that trio might be able to offer the much-needed boost in the pass-rush the Cowboys need.
All that said, we find it very hard to believe Sieler will ever end up in Dallas, barring a catastrophic injury to Williams or Clark.
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