The Dallas Cowboys swapped late draft selections with the New York Giants to acquire defensive tackle Jordan Phillips on Wednesday, adding support to the defensive line room that seemed questionable entering the season.
Dallas was already dealing with the loss of Johnathan Hankins and Neville Gallimore during the free agency period, but a recent injury to Sam Williams that will keep him out for the season brought even more questions about depth at defensive tackle, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The Cowboys chose to address this need by trading a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the Giants, receiving Phillips and a 2026 seventh-round selection in return, per NFL.com.
Phillips spent the past two seasons with the Buffalo Bills, picking up 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 14 games during the 2023 season.
The nine-year NFL veteran will now join the fourth team of his career, having played for the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins earlier in his career.
Phillips will likely be used for depth behind Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa, who are listed as the top two defensive tackles on the depth chart and have each reportedly been making names for themselves during the team’s training camp over the last few weeks.
Smith is coming off a disappointing rookie season with America’s Team but was recently named a breakout candidate by The Dallas Express. With new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, Smith could make a meaningful impact on the team this season.
The Cowboys began the preseason with a loss against the Los Angeles Rams, a game that will not matter toward the end of the season but provided valuable insight into the team heading into the 2024 season, as reported by DX.
Dallas will now face the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers in the remaining two preseason games before traveling to Cleveland to take on the Browns in their first regular season game on September 8 at 3:25 p.m.