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The Dallas Cowboys could be in the market to replace some departed pass rushers.
In a trade proposed by Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, the Cowboys could benefit from a “splash” deal that sees them trade a 2024 fifth-round draft pick (No. 174 overall) in exchange for Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Ballentine argues that Tryon-Shoyinka could fill a major void — and be a bargain option — after Dallas allowed both Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. to leave in free agency
“As it happens, the Cowboys have a big need on the edge and Tryon comes with an affordable $2.2 million salary,” writes Ballentine. “With Dorance Amstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. leaving, the Cowboys with 716 snaps to replace.”
Why Cowboys Could Benefit From Joe Tryon-Shoyinka Trade
The cost of acquiring of Tryon-Shoyinka — a former first-round draft pick — would be low considering his underwhelming production over the first three seasons of his career. The Buccaneers selected the University of Washington product with the 32nd pick in the 2021 NFL draft and he has yet to make a significant impact despite starting over the past two seasons for Tampa Bay.
He’s racked up nine sacks and 95 tackles while appearing in 75% of the defensive snaps in 2022 and 51% of the defensive snaps in 2023.
The advanced analytics paint a more positive picture of the 23-year-old’s play. According to Pro Football Focus, Tryon-Shoyinka posted a 65.5 defensive grade and 69.0 pass-rushing grade last season, both above average marks. In fact, of all of the Cowboys’ current linebackers — with the exception of newcomer Eric Kendricks — not a single one had a higher number than Tryon-Shoykinka’s pass-rushing grade.
Ballentine explains why the Cowboys would benefit from a trade for a veteran pass rusher rather than just select a rookie with a fifth-round pick.
“They can find another edge defender in the draft, but it’s going to be hard to find one ready to contribute with the fifth-round pick they’d be sending to Tampa,” writes Ballentine. “They can go to free agency but there aren’t many 24 year old with the potential to find a new level of production on the market.”
Ballentine further details why the potential move would make sense for both sides.
“For the Bucs, this would be a chance to move on and get something in return for a player that they benched last season,” writes Ballentine. “For the Cowboys, it’s an opportunity to take a relatively low-cost risk on a high-potential player.”
Joe-Tryon Shoyinka Could Be Versatile Player for Cowboys
It’s worth noting that the 6-foot-5 pass rusher may have the ability to play multiple spots — something the Cowboys would certainly welcome. The Cowboys converted Markquese Bell from being a safety into a starting linebacker. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles recently gushed over Tryon-Shoyinka’s versatility.
“Joe’s a very unique player,” said Bowles. “He’s not going to be the go-around-the-corner Shaq [Barrett] type of guy. Joe can move all across the line of scrimmage and help us with a lot of things. He’s out linebacker. He’s our defensive end. He’s our 3-tech. He’s our part-time nickel. He’s our part-time inside linebacker. He can come from a lot of areas so he has a lot of jobs. And he’s one of those chess pieces that I talked about. So he’s a different type of rusher. He’s very athletic.”
Considering the Cowboys have been very prudent from a financial perspective when it comes to their acquisitions this offseason, acquiring Tryon-Shoyinka — who has a $2.2 million base salary in what is likely the final year of his rookie deal — would be a low-cost, high-reward move.
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