The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly looking to wheel and deal leading up to the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Cowboys have made it known in league circles that they are “open for business,” and in search of defensive help.
However, an anonymous NFL general manager told Russini they believe the Cowboys “should go get a running back.”
Prior to the start of the 2025 regular season, the Cowboys traded superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, so it is no surprise that Dallas has struggled defensively.
The Cowboys are last in the league in total defense with 411.7 yards allowed per game, and 31st in scoring defense, allowing 30.7 points per contest.
Conversely, Dallas has been excellent on offense with a league-leading 387.5 total yards per game, plus 29.7 points per game, which ranks third.
Unfortunately, the poor defense has overshadowed the high-powered offense to the point that the Cowboys have a losing record at 2-3-1.
If major changes are made to the defense before the deadline, last week’s game against the Carolina Panthers may prove to be the impetus.
Dallas surrendered 30 points to a Panthers offense that was previously averaging a shade over 20 points per game.
The driving force behind Carolina’s offensive success against the Cowboys was running back Rico Dowdle, who was previously with the Cowboys from 2020 to 2024.
In his first game against his old team, Dowdle rushed for 183 yards on 30 carries, while also catching four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.
That naturally led to questions about whether the Cowboys erred in letting Dowdle leave via free agency. However, Dallas has maintained a strong running game in its own right this season.
Free-agent addition Javonte Williams has exceeded expectations by rushing for 476 yards and five touchdowns, while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. He has also been a factor in the passing game with 22 grabs for 83 yards and a score.
While Dallas could use some depth behind Williams with Miles Sanders out for the season and rookie Jaydon Blue struggling to make an impact, defense is undoubtedly the biggest need.
Only one Cowboys player has more than 1.5 sacks this season, and Dallas has only two interceptions as a team, which suggests pass-rush and secondary help should be atop the team’s wish list.