Brian Schottenheimer, Dak Prescott, others ‘pumped’ after Cowboys’ trades – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
The Dallas Cowboys organization lifted morale around The Star today after the moves made at the trade deadline.
t was a busy day for the Cowboys on Tuesday, as the team made two moves at the NFL trade deadline to acquire DT Quinnen Williams and LB Logan Wilson to help bolster the defense.
All in all, it was a day that provided a jolt of excitement and energy for Dallas as they look to rebound from their 3-5-1 start to the season in the back half of the year following the upcoming bye week.
“It’s exciting,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said of Dallas’ trades. “Kudos to Jerry and Stephen, Will, being aggressive but then smart. A couple of moves we made, you’re getting guys not just for this year but beyond, which I think is great… I think it’s two terrific players, but also terrific young men.”
The addition of Williams from the New York Jets, in which Dallas sent a 2026 second-round pick, the better of their two 2027 first-round picks and DT Mazi Smith for, was one that radiated in the building and across the league. Quarterback Dak Prescott was candid with his level of excitement.
“I’m f*ing pumped.” Prescott told reporters about the addition of Williams.
Williams will join a defensive front that the Cowboys have invested a lot into recently. They signed Osa Odgihizuwa to an extension and acquired Kenny Clark in the Micah Parsons trade, but Williams’ addition is a welcome one for his new teammates.
“I think it’s just going to add more playmaking ability to the d-line,” Odighizuwa said. “Another bullet in the gun. Another bullet in the gun, another very strong and talented guy, so I think we’ll be able to use him…”
“I’m excited, another guy that’s going to help us win.”
2025 NFL trade deadline: Who are the biggest winners and losers? – Judy Battista, NFL.com
One Cowboys grade for acquiring Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets for a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and Mazi Smith.
There’s no sugarcoating the immediate effect of trading Parsons – it was a huge step back for the Cowboys defense, which has struggled, including against the run, which Jones insisted was part of the reason to make the trade that included Clark. But the Cowboys made big moves at the deadline, first getting Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson, who had seen his snaps decrease in Cincinnati as his production has waned in recent seasons. Wilson is a solid veteran and team leader type who should help a struggling Cowboys defense immediately. And then the Cowboys hit their home run, getting Quinnen Williams from the Jets, who should help both the run and pass defense immediately. The Cowboys got two first-round draft picks out of the Parsons deal, but sent a first-rounder to the Jets for Williams. The Cowboys get an incomplete for the entire cycle because we don’t know if they will hit on that first-round selection — there is no room for another Taco Charlton swing and miss — and they still don’t have a game-wrecking pass rusher like Parsons. This series of moves, especially the Parsons trade, was an enormous risk for the Cowboys. But Jones loves his image as a gambler and until we know for sure whether he has hit or gone bust, this one is TBD.
Despite all the optimism around the Cowboys, Monday night’s horrific loss shouldn’t be overlooked.
Their first two-game losing streak of the season.
The NFL’s erstwhile No. 1 offense and No. 2 scoring offense scores just one touchdown, and that didn’t occur until 10:51 was left in the fourth quarter. And for the first time in 70 games, having to go back to the 2021 season, the Cowboys failed to score a touchdown in a first half.
Bad enough the Cowboys have been struggling mightily on defense, having already given up 37 points, 31, 40, 30 and 44 points, three of those losses and one an overtime tie. But now the offense is mired in quicksand, the No. 1 group scored just 17 points last week against Denver and now only 10 against the Cardinals.
“Very disappointing, very frustrating,” Dak Prescott said, “Know you’re better than that.”
Then Dak got down to the nitty-gritty, as hard as it must have been to say, “They kicked our ass.”
That the now 3-5 Cardinals did. On offense, on defense, and if not for one lapse on special teams when the Cowboys’ Sam Williams blocked a punt, Marshawn Kneeland recovering the backward rolling ball in the end zone for Dallas’ only touchdown in three quarters, the Cowboys really got beat on special teams, too. Poor blocking on Cowboys’ kickoff returns rendered KaVontae Turpin normal, and they allowed the Cardinals to average 25.5 yards on their kickoff returns.
Once again, in consecutive games, this one, too, is hard to swallow. Why, Dak was sacked a season-high five times. He was hit another nine times, with no doubt suffering double-digit pressures. Forced to run four more times to avoid sacks. The protection got so bad, with Terence Steele struggling to deal with Josh Sweat (two sacks, two tackles for loss, five QB hits, one pass defensed), the Cowboys removed him from the game for Nate Thomas, knowing Steele nearly did not play, suffering from migraine headaches before the game.
Now, sure doesn’t help once again the Cowboys were playing without their starting safeties, Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson, and even the rookie safety who started against Denver Alijah Clark missed the game with a rib injury. Plus, they must play another two games without starting cornerback Trevon Diggs on IR, if he even plays again this season. The inexperience in the secondary is glaring.
What Quinnen Williams does to instantly improve the Cowboys’ defense – LP Cruz, Blogging the Boys
Immediate thoughts on what Quinnen Williams can bring to the Dallas defense.
After the Dallas Cowboys made a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals for linebacker Logan Wilson, Jerry Jones wasn’t done. Dallas, needing to add more to a bad defense, may have added the most impactful available defender at the deadline.
The Cowboys hunting this big at the deadline is big news. Usually, the Cowboys are very passive and look at role players at the deadline, but not today. Dallas adding Quinnen Williams proves that the Cowboys are sincere about fixing their defense. Adding the All-Pro defender raises the level of the defense in multiple ways.
First, why would the New York Jets give away one of their best players? Actually, they didn’t intend to. Quinnen Williams has had his name floated around trade rumors for years, but the Jets have always remained steadfast and have not wanted to trade him. Since his breakout in 2022, when he earned All-Pro honors, Williams has established himself as one best interior defenders in the league and has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons. However, with the Jets sitting at 1-7 and no realistic chance at the playoffs, New York relented and chose to be sellers at the deadline. The trade also coincides with the Jets trading cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for multiple first-round picks. The Jets firmly established that to sell their young players, particularly Williams, it was going to cost a lot, and the Cowboys obliged.
Next, let’s examine the compensation. It is a lot. Dallas traded their second-round pick in 2026, and one of the two first-round picks they have the rights to in 2027, and Mazi Smith. For Smith, it allows the Cowboys to close the book on a draft pick who disappointed with the team after being drafted in the first round in 2023, but never could live up to his draft status. The compensation is more than suitable for a player of Williams’ caliber, but the question surround the Cowboys circumstances. Was this a panic move with little chance of getting the team to the playoffs this year?
Here’s how it helps Dallas on the field. Williams is an exceptional run defender that teams have to account for if they intend to run the football. Williams requires double teams to avoid being a disruptive force that takes over games. Per PFF, he has solidified himself as one of the best interior defenders at playing the run, falling in above the 90th percentile at in run defense and run stopping grades.
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