In the last 16 months, the Dallas Cowboys have pulled off three major trades with the Steelers, first getting George Pickens last year, then getting lineman Broderick Jones and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. So why not make it a fourth? With the NFL trade deadline looming next week, how about adding Alex Highsmith, the veteran edge rusher who has 3.5 sacks this year after recording 9.5 last season? In seven seasons in the NFL, Highsmith has notched 48.5 sacks.
Certainly Highsmith would be a fit in Dallas because he accustomed to playing in space, as he would do in Dallas, and does well at stopping the run, a place in which the Cowboys have been dreadful. The defense has allowed 1,222 yards rushing, dead last in the league. A Highsmith trade is certainly sensible.
Alex Highsmith a Sensible Target
For John Owning, longtime Cowboys analyst, Highsmith would make sense if the Cowboys pursued him because he would not cost a hefty price but would be an upgrade over any of the teams pass rushers.
He told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas this week: “I don’t think they’re gonna be big buyers. One guy I have been—everybody talks about Maxx Crosby as the kind of the golden goose that everyone wants to get. Obviously, bringing him in would be a big impact, he would be a very valuable defender but I just don’t think that’s very feasible given the draft picks that the Cowboys have.
“But I do think someone like Alex Highsmith from the Pittsburgh Steelers is someone who is young enough, he’s impactful enough, and if you brought him in, if this year is not your year, he can be impactful Year 2, Year 3, Year 4 for you. So it still legitimizes trading for him. I think he is someone who could make an impact not only in the pass rush department but defending the run on the edge, he would immediately walk onto the team and be the No. 1 edge defender and I think would do a very good job.”
Cowboys Could Redo Contract
The question for the Cowboys is just how available the Steelers would make Highsmith, who was rated the No. 12 overall edge defender by Pro Football Focus last season, and the No. 4 edge when it comes to playing against the run. He is No. 25 overall this season. At 5-2, the Steelers do not have much incentive to sell at the NFL trade deadline.
Highsmith dealt with an ankle issue last season, and it was ankle and groin issues that limited him to 11 games in 2024. Highsmith is 29 and is in the third year of a four-year, $68 million contract that is not guaranteed, and will likely be asking for a new contract.
Cowboys Urged to Trade for ‘Impactful’ Defender to Fill Big Hole