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The Dallas Cowboys may not be done making moves just yet.
Just prior to the Cowboys’ preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders, team owner Jerry Jones spoke to 105.3 The Fan and hinted at possibly making more moves along the defensive line before the end of training camp. Dallas recently traded with the New York Giants for defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and signed defensive end Carl Lawson.
Via Jon Machota of The Athletic:
“Sounds like the Cowboys aren’t done trying to improve their defensive line,” writes Machota on Saturday, Aug. 17. “Jerry Jones on @1053thefan while talking about some of their recent defensive line additions: ‘Sometimes in the interior (defensive) line, you get a chance to do some things with other clubs right at the end of training camp, in that area. What you’re seeing right now is important. It’s important to see these guys take reps. But tonight won’t be the final pieces to the puzzle.'”
Cowboys Upgrade With 2 Veteran Acquisitions
The Cowboys obviously weren’t completely satisfied with their defensive line before making big moves for two veterans such as Phillips and Lawson. Dallas’ projected starters at defensive tackle are Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa. While Odighizuwa has started 46 games since his rookie season in 2021, 2023 first-round pick Smith started just three games and appeared in only 28% of the defensive snaps during his rookie campaign.
While Dallas obviously has high hopes for Smith, Phillips will give the Cowboys some much needed veteran insurance behind the second-year defensive tackle. The 31-year-old Phillips has started 62 of his 120 career games since entering the NFL in 2015.
Meanwhile, Lawson has racked up 27 sacks in 74 games and 31 starts since entering the NFL in 2017.
Mike McCarthy Approves of Moves for Jordan Phillips and Carl Lawson
Head coach Mike McCarthy spoke highly of the moves for Phillips and Lawson.
“These guys have played, they got pelts on the wall,” McCarthy said. “They have different skill sets, obviously, different position. So, I mean, just like anything, their experience level will definitely be an asset. In training camp, your roster player acquisition is always fluid, so I think it’s really good for our D-line group.”
McCarthy even singled out Phillips’ performance against the Cowboys as a member of the Buffalo Bills last season.
“Well, he had a sack and he almost picked a ball off, so we talked about that today in the quarterback room,” McCarthy said. “He’s played a lot of football. We have people here that are familiar with him and feel like it’s a really good fit.”
While it’s unclear if Jones was hinting at another trade before training camp, it’s clear that the roster is far from a finished product. There will be cuts that will take place from now until the start of the season. That means Jones will likely be scouring the waiver wire for potential upgrades along the defensive line.
Considering the Cowboys have already made two major moves along the defensive line over the past several days, don’t be surprised if they have more transactions in them before the start of the 2024 season.
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