Overview
- Ian Rapoport reports the Cowboys are exploring edge-rusher additions, with Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Malcolm Koonce and Arden Key identified as options.
- Rapoport also reports Dallas has made 2023 first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith available after appearing in only five games this season.
- Contract calculus factors into targets, as Chubb is signed through 2027 while Phillips, Koonce and Key are under team control only through 2025, making most options closer to rentals.
- Multiple reports indicate the Titans have been fielding calls on Arden Key and Dre’Mont Jones, keeping Tennessee on Dallas’ list of potential trade partners.
- Urgency stems from poor defensive metrics — bottom-tier rankings and fewer than two sacks per game — and leadership preference for player-for-pick swaps rather than spending premium draft capital.