The Dallas Cowboys pulled off a bold move Saturday night to shore up their offensive line. They struck a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers to bring in Broderick Jones, according to Blogging The Boys. This deal shows the team is desperate for help at the tackle spot. The front office clearly feels the pressure to protect the quarterback better than they did last year.
The Cost of the Deal
The price tag for this move is higher than many fans wanted to pay. According to reports, the Cowboys sent a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick to Pittsburgh. In return, Dallas gets the tackle and a fourth-round pick for the 2027 draft. This means the Steelers now hold two of Dallas’s third-round picks in 2027. It also means they still own the fifth-round pick from the George Pickens trade. Giving up future assets for a player who might leave in a year feels risky.
It’s a heavy price to pay.
A Luxury Addition or a Patch Job
Broderick Jones isn’t a surefire long-term answer for the team. He played 45 games over three seasons for Pittsburgh but struggled with consistency. USA Today notes that he will likely serve as a swing tackle before hitting free agency in 2027. The Cowboys added a player who can step in if Tyler Guyton or Terence Steele gets hurt. This gives the team a luxury they didn’t have before. However, the Steelers didn’t keep him because they saw no future for him in their plans. If a team trades a former first-round pick for less value, it suggests the player has issues.
The situation in Pittsburgh was messy before the trade even happened. Jones had his fifth-year option declined this offseason (a move that signaled the end of his time with the Steelers). The Cowboys are taking a chance on a player who was drafted to start but never secured the job. As one observer asked, “What are they getting in return for the player?” The answer is depth, but it comes at a high draft cost. Dallas hopes this move buys them time to build a better line. If the injury bug strikes again, this trade might look like a smart play. If not, those lost draft picks will hurt the team for years.
