Bengals-cowboys Trade Grades: Jerry Jones Adds Defensive Help

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For nan 2nd clip successful his life, Logan Wilson will beryllium playing for nan Cowboys. Only this time, it won’t beryllium nan University of Wyoming, but America’s Team.

On Tuesday morning, only hours earlier nan NFL’s waste and acquisition deadline astatine 4 p.m. ET, nan Bengals sent linebacker Logan Wilson to nan Cowboys successful speech for an chartless return. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cincinnati had been seeking a sixth-round prime for Wilson.

Wilson, 29, had requested a waste and acquisition earlier this play aft falling retired of favour pinch caller protect coordinator Al Golden. The Bengals played Wilson astatine slightest 97% of their protect snaps complete nan erstwhile 3 years, but successful 2025, that number has dipped to 67% pinch nan emergence of second-round prime Demetrius Knight Jr. complete nan past month.

Wilson is an upgrade successful nan middle, moreover if he’s slowed down some. Last year, he posted 104 tackles, 4 backmost hits and a brace of forced fumbles successful 11 games. This season, Wilson has totaled 46 tackles and 4 passes defensed crossed 8 games connected nan league’s worst defense successful some yards and points allowed.

All that said, Dallas shouldn’t beryllium giving up immoderate draught capital. The Cowboys are 3–5–1, particularly aft losing astatine location connected Monday nighttime to nan Cardinals. Dallas sits successful purgatory, excessively talented to wholly bottommost retired while besides having acold excessively galore holes connected its roster to legitimately compete for a playoff spot.

Owner and wide head Jerry Jones can’t look to perpetrate to either direction. This offseason, he extended tight extremity Jake Ferguson connected a four-year, $52 cardinal deal. He besides traded a third-round prime for receiver George Pickens earlier trading distant All-Pro separator rusher Micah Parsons for 2 first-round picks and protect tackle Kenny Clark.

Wilson is an upgrade, but he’s besides an aging subordinate who doesn’t move nan needle for Jones and his 31st-ranked defense. He’s signed done 2027 pinch headdress hits of $6 and $6.6 million. Not cheap.

Grade: D

Bengals

Cincinnati mightiness arsenic good portion its squad down and commencement acquiring draught capital, truthful it’s a smart move by longtime wide head Duke Tobin.

The Bengals had already moved connected from Wilson, whose snaps had importantly decreased. Cincinnati besides saves money, eating $4 cardinal successful dormant headdress aft this season, but getting backmost $13.7 cardinal successful headdress space.

For Tobin, this should beryllium nan first of galore trades. Cincinnati should beryllium attempting to unload a horde of defenders disconnected nan league’s worst unit, 1 giving up 33.3 points per game. The Bengals are reportedly seeking a first-round prime for protect extremity and pending free supplier Trey Hendrickson. If Tobin lowers nan value to a much reasonable inquire of a Day 2 pick, Hendrickson could bring Cincinnati immoderate value.

The Bengals should besides beryllium trying to move disconnected immoderate secondary pieces, including corners Cam Taylor-Britt and Dax Hill and information Geno Stone. While Hill and Stone wouldn’t nett a return larger than a late-round pick, and Taylor-Britt perchance a mid-rounder, it’s wise for Cincinnati to perpetrate to a complete teardown.