After the Dallas Cowboys decided to trade Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, there were plenty of questions about how they’d look coming off the edge. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the edge rushing group hasn’t been great over the first two weeks of the season.
To improve in that area, there could be multiple players for them to pursue. That includes Jaelan Phillips of the Miami Dolphins, whom Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently proposed an intriguing trade idea to land him. He also added that Phillips likely has 2026 fourth-round pick trade value.
“Things continue to look bleak for the Miami Dolphins in 2025. While Miami wasn’t blown out for the second straight week, they can’t feel good about a home loss to the rebuilding New England Patriots…
“Impending 2026 free agent Jaelan Phillips is just one of the potential trade chips the Dolphins could look to cash in before the trade deadline. Though injuries have limited the 26-year-old in recent years, Phillips recorded 22 sacks over his first three seasons,” he wrote.
If the Cowboys could land a player of Phillips’ caliber, despite the injury concerns, they should view it as a win. His best season came in 2021, when he posted 8.5 sacks and a combined 42 tackles. He also impressed in 2022, finishing with 61 tackles and seven sacks.
Jadeveon Clowney Ready to Contribute to Dallas Defense
Looking for ways to improve, the Dallas Cowboys signed Jadeveon Clowney earlier in the week. Clowney is getting up there in age and might not be the player that he once was, but he’s still a decent pickup at this stage.
The 32-year-old Clowney is coming off a season for the Carolina Panthers where he posted 5.5 sacks and 46 tackles.
He still believes that he has plenty to give to the Cowboys, noting that he loves the secondary and the addition of Kenny Clark. He thinks they needed help on the edge, and he’s there to provide that.
“I like the secondary. I like that they got Kenny Clark for the inside. They just needed some edge rushers and I feel like I can go out here and help this defense,” he said, per SB Nation.
How Much Can Dallas Count on Jadeveon Clowney
The one question for Clowney and the Dallas Cowboys is how much he can play. When examining the situation, the Cowboys’ official website noted that he might not be a player who can play 40-plus snaps in a single game.
“Not at all. If anything, having a veteran like that in the room will probably help more than it will hurt because the group overall is so young. Dante Fowler is the only other veteran that’s there right now, so I don’t think having another seasoned voice is going to be something that hurts at all.
“You also have to consider how much of a workload Clowney is going to get at this stage of his career. He might not be a 30-40 snaps a game kind of player and may be utilized situationally. If that’s the case, then everyone wins, with the Cowboys getting a veteran presence at defensive end and their young players at the position still getting valuable reps,” Tommy Yarrish wrote.
Depending on how Phillips looks injury-wise over the next few weeks, there’s also a possibility that he could be limited. However, given that he looks healthy throughout the first two weeks of the season after an Achilles injury last year, there’s reason to believe the Cowboys would be in a decent spot if they could land him.
Having Clowney and Phillips would be big-time additions after losing arguably the best edge rusher in the NFL.
