Don’t expect the Dallas Cowboys to be shy about making moves before the November 10 NFL trade deadline, and if they do, you can be almost sure it will be to shore up their defense.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper named the Cowboys a prime trade destination for Miami Dolphins All-Pro linebacker Jordyn Brooks — a player who could address one of the team’s glaring weaknesses.
Brooks has led the NFL in solo tackles twice — in 2021 and 2025 — and earned NFL All-Pro honors for the first time in 2025, when he led the league with 183 combined tackles.
The Dolphins signed him to a 3-year, $51.3 million contract extension on July 21. Through
The Cowboys have tried a patchwork approach at inside linebacker on the way to a 2-4 record through the first six games — veteran DeMarvion Overshown is always hurt and rookie Jaishawn Barham is learning on the job. Veteran Dee Winters might thrive next to an All-Pro with Brooks as he did playing next to Fred Warner on the San Francisco 49ers.
“The Dolphins are executing their tank effectively,” Popper wrote on October 22. “They have remained moderately competitive while still losing five straight games to begin the season. Their rookie class looks promising. The next step would be accruing some more draft capital for 2027. One issue, though, is they do not have many tradable players. Brooks, a reliable veteran off-ball linebacker, is one of the few. He signed a three-year extension in July and has close to $13 million in guaranteed salary in 2027, so any acquiring team would be making a multi-year commitment. The Dolphins would take on $15.6 million in dead money in 2027 if they traded Brooks. This regime, with coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, has not been afraid of dead money thus far.”
Brooks Became Dominant Defender in Miami
Brooks, 6-foot and 240 pounds, was a 1st-round pick (No. 27 overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2020 NFL draft and has been 1 of the NFL’s dominant inside linebackers since becoming a full-time starter in his 2nd season — when he had a career-high 184 tackles and led the NFL with 109 solo tackles.
He’s also durable. Brooks, 29, has only missed 2 regular-season games since 2021, and none since 2023.
“A smooth coverage linebacker with great instincts and field sense, Brooks is one of the few linebackers in the league who can truly be trusted to carry a tight end down the field, or drop into the intermediate middle and not get bamboozled by route combinations or quarterbacks’ eye fakes,” ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote in October 2025. “Coverage linebackers in their athletic prime are rare and impactful players.”
Cowboys, Jordyn Brooks Linked in Trade Rumors
The Cowboys have long been a popular landing spot for Brooks in NFL trade rumors.
In June, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport pitched a deal that would bring Brooks to Dallas by sending a 2027 2nd-round pick and 2028 4th-round pick to Miami in exchange for Brooks and a 2028 5th-round pick.
“(The Cowboys) have been wildly aggressive trying to bolster a defense that was the NFL’s worst last year,” Davenport wrote. “There are two new edge-rushers in veteran Rashan Gary and rookie Malachi Lawrence, two new starters at safety and a new linebacker in Dee Winters. However, while Winters is a capable pro, he’s not the same caliber of player Brooks is. The Cowboys are perpetually all-in on a Super Bowl run—trading for Brooks would be a nice finish to the team’s defensive makeover.”
Cowboys Urged to Trade for $51.3 Million Tackling Machine