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The Dallas Cowboys appear to be interested in a player who appears to want out from his current team.
According to Benjamin Albright of KOA Radio, the Cowboys — along with their NFC rival San Francisco 49ers and AFC contender Buffalo Bills — “have interest” in making a trade for Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Report: Jaylon Johnson Requests Trade From Bears
According to a report from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the fourth-year cornerback has requested a trade from the Bears after failing to come to an agreement on a new contract.
“Bears corner Jaylon Johnson has requested a trade, per source,” writes Fowler. “Chicago granted permission to search for a new home before today’s trade deadline. The player and team negotiated a new contract last week but couldn’t come close to a deal. So, a talented corner is now available.”
The interest in Johnson isn’t a surprise considering he’s played at a high level for the Bears this season. The 24-year-old Johnson has racked up 18 tackles, two interceptions and one defensive touchdown in six starts this year.
While the interception total is nice, the advanced statistics show a better reason why Johnson is coveted by three different contenders. Johnson has allowed just a 47.8% completion rate and a 24.7 passer rating in coverage this season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson has posted an 84.4 defensive grade and 85.8 grade in coverage this season. Johnson’s defensive grade and coverage grade ranks third among all starting cornerbacks.
Why Cowboys Could Benefit From Jaylon Johnson Trade
The Cowboys’ current trio of cornerbacks — Stephon Gilmore, DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis — have played solid in the absence of No. 1 cornerback Trevon Diggs. Dallas’ pass defense ranks fourth in the NFL after allowing 178.6 yards per game.
However, they’ve shown a bit of vulnerability in recent weeks, ranking 15th over their past three games after allowing an average of 219.3 passing yards per game.
While Bland continues to play well — he had an interception returned for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams — he’s playing at outside corner after beginning the season as the slot cornerback.
Acquiring Johnson — who plays on the outside for the Bears — could give Dallas the opportunity to shift Bland back to the inside as the slot cornerback.
The idea of the Cowboys acquiring Johnson at the trade deadline isn’t a new suggestion. SB Nation’s Matthew Holleran previously suggested a trade proposal that would see Dallas flip a second or third-round pick in exchange for Johnson.
“Johnson is set to be a free agent at season’s end, so the Cowboys could try to get him without giving up premium capital,” wrote Holleran on October 24. “Even if Dallas had to give up a second or third-round pick to acquire the talented cornerback, the move would be smart in both the short and long term.”
Furthermore, having depth at cornerback is never a bad thing. Dallas struggled with injuries to the position during the 2022 season, losing both Lewis and former cornerback Anthony Brown to season-ending injuries prior to the end of the season.
The injuries forced Dallas to sign veteran free agents such as Xavier Rhodes and Mackensie Alexander prior to the start of the playoffs last season.
Johnson may not be a marquee name, but he could pay major dividends during the playoffs for a Dallas squad looking to make a deep run.
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