Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Quinnen Williams Deal Reframes Cowboys’ Window, Leaves Edge Rusher Priority

The team must decide on a George Pickens extension before the 2026 league year.

Overview

  • Dallas acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the Jets, sending Mazi Smith, a 2026 second-rounder and the better of two 2027 first-round picks tied to the Micah Parsons trade.
  • Williams, 27, brings Pro Bowl/All-Pro credentials and a strong run-defending profile, and he is under team control through 2027.
  • Logan Wilson arrived in the same deadline flurry, and with Williams under contract through 2027, analysts say Dallas has defined a 2026–2027 contention window aided by cap flexibility from moving Parsons.
  • Despite the interior upgrade, the Cowboys’ pass rush remains a weakness this season, and multiple outlets urge signing a veteran EDGE such as Shaquil Barrett or Yannick Ngakoue to replace Parsons’ impact.
  • Roster choices loom, with Blogging The Boys calling a George Pickens extension a top priority ahead of possible franchise-tag deadlines, and debate persists over the Parsons trade, with Skip Bayless asserting Dallas "won" after landing Williams.