An intriguing trade proposal has the Dallas Cowboys landing one of the game’s premier pass rushers to bolster an already deep front seven.
The Cowboys fielded a top-10 scoring defense for the second straight year under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn (seventh in 2021, fifth in 2022). That was largely thanks to a prolific pass rush that generated 54 sacks.
But, what if the Cowboys added another proven star to an already dangerous front seven?
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine pieced together several blockbuster trade ideas for the Cowboys ahead of next month’s NFL Draft. Among them: Dallas trading the No. 26 selection to the Indianapolis Colts for star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner:
“Essentially, the Colts could trade him away for a first-round pick to continue rebuilding with Shane Steichen manning the helm and clear up a ton of cap space to spend where they deem fit in free agency next season.
For the Cowboys, it’s the opportunity to add an elite interior defensive lineman that should be appealing. Micah Parsons is one of the most electric and talented edge-rushers in the game. Giving him a guy like Buckner, who had eight sacks last season, would take the Dallas pass rush to the next level.
The nice thing about Buckner’s contract is that it’s set up well to either be restructured or outright extended. The Cowboys could easily get the deal to fit their long-term plan while providing a huge boost to their odds of fielding an elite defense next season.”
A month before the 2020 NFL Draft, the Colts sent the No. 13 selection to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for Buckner. San Fran wound up trading down one spot (with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and they took South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw with the No. 14 pick.
Buckner has been well worth the price for the Colts up to this point, forming a prolific duo alongside linebacker and fellow star Shaquille Leonard. Through three seasons as a Colt, Buckner has 24.5 sacks, nine pass defenses and four forced fumbles.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
The Cowboys already have one star pass rusher in workhorse linebacker Micah Parsons. Veterans DeMarcus Lawrence and Dorance Armstrong Jr. (8.5 sacks last season) round out one of the league’s top front sevens.
Adding Buckner to that defense could be one of the final pieces of a championship puzzle in Dallas. The trade makes sense on paper, but whether or not the Colts and/or Cowboys would actually consider the deal is another story.
