The Dallas Cowboys certainly tried to fill one of the big holes on the roster last month in free agency. They made a bid for Devin Lloyd, the top middle linebacker on the market, but he got a hefty three-year, $45 million offer from the Panthers that Dallas did not match. They made good bids, too, for Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, but that duo wanted to play together, and both signed with the Raiders.
There were trade talks for middle linebackers, too, including for Pittsburgh’s Patrick Queen. There were reports from beat writer Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the Cowboys had discussed trades for Jordyn Brooks of the Dolphins and Azeez Al-Shaair of the Texans, followed by a subsequent report in the Miami Herald that the Cowboys did call to talk about a Brooks deal.
And while the Cowboys are expected to add a linebacker in the upcoming draft, they’ll still need a veteran at the position–and Brooks may well be the most sensible and achievable option.
Cowboys Should Push for Jordyn Brooks Trade
In fact, looking at the Cowboys’ approach to the draft next week, Dave Helman of The Athletic says that the team should start by bringing in Brooks from the Dolphins in exchange for Dallas’ third-round pick. That would be No. 92, acquired from the 49ers in the Osa Odighizuwa trade.
Sizing up the best approach for the Cowboys on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Helman said:
“We’re sending 92 to Miami for Jordyn Brooks. That’s No. 1. Like, let’s just get that out of the way. If we gotta throw in some change, that’s fine. Let’s go get a ready-made badass. Jordyn Brooks was so good for Miami last year. They’re obviously resetting things, they don’t need him right now.
“Send 92 over there, throw in some extra change, get him locked up on an extension, now we’re cooking with gas.”
Brooks, it should be noted, was drafted by the Seahawks, back when current Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator.
GettyHead coach Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys
Linebackers on the Docket
The one issue with Brooks might well be that he is a roamer, and not necessarily the green-dot linebacker the Cowboys need. Still, he would be a very good fit, especially as the Cowboys try to build a defensive front that can shut down the run game. Last season, Pro Football Focus rated Brooks the third-best run-stopping linebacker in the NFL, and he led the league in solo tackles (99) and combined tackles (183). He’s also durable, with 83 games played in the last three seasons.
The Dolphins are dismantling and seeking to rebuild with draft picks, presenting the Cowboys with an opportunity to swipe Brooks, who is in the final year of his contract and has a $10.8 million cap hit in 2026. If the Cowboys did give him an extension, they could lower his cap hit for this season.
The Cowboys will likely take a linebacker in the draft, though it is a question of where. There has been ample talk about trading up to nab Sonny Styles in the Top 5 or 6. But if that does not work out, the Cowboys are likely to consider CJ Allen from Georgia, Anthony Hill from Texas or Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez at No. 20–or trade back and take one of them later.
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