Ahead of the Dallas Cowboys’ preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders, there is a great deal of animosity directed toward the defensive line.
They are closing in on a deal for defensive tackle Jordan Phillips in less than twenty-four hours after their second scrimmage against the Los Angeles Rams ended.
They are also anticipated to sign Carl Lawson. After Sam Williams suffered a season-ending torn ACL, Lawson joined a workout group that also included Al-Quadin Muhammad and Shaka Toney, who had just signed. But on Wednesday, Toney was declared out or injured, which made room for Lawson to travel to Oxnard.
As he leaves the Giants for the Cowboys in a trade package that also sends a sixth-round pick (2026) to New York in return for a seventh-round pick (2026), Phillips is traveling from one NFC East to one of its main rivals.
This is the most recent defensive maneuver after last week’s addition of Nick Vigil and Darius Harris to the linebacker corps and a transaction that resulted in the trade of Andrew Booth for Nahshon Wright, a cornerback.
The Cowboys will waive Carl Davis to create space on the roster for the most recent arrivals. They will also need to make a second, yet-to-be-determined, equivalent roster move following the completion of the Phillips transaction.
Lawson, a former second-round selection in 2017, made an immediate impact at defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals, earning a spot on the PFWA All-first Team for the 8.5 sacks he recorded in his first season.
After overcoming a ruptured ACL in 2018, the former First-Team All-American and All-SEC player at Auburn signed with the New York Jets in 2021.
He stayed with the team until this past season, during which time he had seven sacks, 33 combined tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 17 starts.
After starting his NFL career as a standout at Oklahoma and spending time with the Buffalo Bills (twice) and the Arizona Cardinals, Phillips, who was also selected in the second round in 2015, joins the Cowboys. This offseason, he signed with the Giants.
After starting his NFL career as a standout at Oklahoma and spending time with the Buffalo Bills (twice) and the Arizona Cardinals, Phillips, who was also selected in the second round in 2015, joins the Cowboys.
This offseason, he signed with the Giants. At 6 feet 6 inches and 341 pounds, he is a quintessential big guy ready to go right into the struggle for depth at nose tackle behind Mazi Smith, taking Davis’ place in that encounter.
As the final roster cuts get near and there are just two games left in the preseason, the Cowboys, and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in particular, are making a concerted effort to improve their defense.
