After adding a linebacker and a safety, could safety be next?
Jerry Jones wasn’t late; he was just early. The Dallas Cowboys’ owner/general manager boldly (and repeatedly) declared he was going “all-in” for 2024, though his words and actions didn’t align — until now. Jones, 83, put his chips on the table at the NFL’s 2025 trade deadline, citing age as a “natural urgency” to be aggressive. He acquired former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson and landed star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in a shocking blockbuster swap with the New York Jets. With that in mind, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see the Cowboys make another move, especially with veteran safety Quandre Diggs suddenly becoming available.
S Quandre Diggs makes for ideal Cowboys target after getting waived by Titans
The Tennessee Titans have “parted ways” with Diggs, per an official team announcement. The phrasing supports follow-up reporting that he “asked for and received his release,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Regardless of how or why it happened, Jones and the Cowboys shouldn’t hesitate to pounce on the 11th-year pro.
One man’s trash is another’s treasure. Diggs didn’t necessarily fit the mold amid a youth movement in Tennessee, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help a hapless Cowboys stop unit. His skill set can provide a much-needed boost to Dallas’ secondary.
Dallas is allowing the second-most yards (397.4) and points (30.8) per game entering the Week 10 Sunday slate. They can’t stop a nosebleed, let alone the run or pass. Moreover, only five clubs have more missed tackles than the Cowboys (64).
Guess what Diggs’ strengths are: tackling, coverage and limiting opposing ground attacks. The three-time Pro Bowler is a versatile, physical, hard-nosed ball hawk. His presence would give the Cowboys a new high-profile player at all three levels of the defense.
All NFL teams to honor Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland with powerful message in Week 10 – Josh Sanchez Cowboys on SI
Teams will remember Marshawn Kneeland this Sunday.
The NFL will join the Dallas Cowboys in mourning on Sunday, after a league-wide memo was sent out by the league before Week 10 kicks into full swing.
In the first game of Week 10, the Denver Broncos honored Kneeland at Mile High Stadium prior to their game against the Las Vegas Raiders with a moment of silence, hours after Kneeland’s tragic death was announced.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the league sent a memo to all teams asking them to observe a moment of silence in Kneeland’s honor this weekend.
The moment of silence will be followed with a message urging for those struggling with mental health issues to reach out for help.
Still so much that has to be done even in a disappointing season.
At 3-5-1, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves in unfamiliar territory, searching for answers at the halfway point of a disappointing season. The bye week offers a rare moment for reflection, and as a lifelong Cowboys fan, it’s impossible not to dissect where things have gone wrong and where things can still be fixed. There’s talent on this roster, but a series of glaring issues have held the team back from being a true contender. Here are a few key takeaways from this much-needed break.
Run Defense is Still Lacking
Let’s start with one of the most frustrating part of the Cowboys’ season: the run defense. After the front office traded away Micah Parsons earlier in the year, the expectation was that the defense would shift its identity to a more balanced, gap-disciplined unit. With Kenny Clark anchoring the middle, fans hoped the bleeding would stop. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Dallas currently ranks 29th in the league, giving up a staggering 143.0 rushing yards per game. That’s not just bad, it’s embarrassing for a team that claims to have Super Bowl aspirations. The addition of Quinnen Williams should help immensely, as he’s one of the NFL’s most dominant run defenders and brings a physical edge that’s been sorely missing.
Pairing him with Logan Wilson, a proven tackling machine at linebacker, could finally give this unit some stability. Still, until we see consistent gap control, sound tackling, and a little pride in stopping the run, it’s hard to believe the defense will hold up against playoff-caliber opponents.
Need for Speed in the Backfield
On offense, Javonte Williams has been a revelation. His bruising running style and ability to shed tackles have brought much-needed toughness to the ground game. He’s the kind of back who can wear down a defense late in games. However, what this offense lacks is speed; that game-breaking element that keeps defenses honest. When the Cowboys drafted Jaydon Blue, fans were excited about his potential as a home-run threat, but in typical fashion, that experiment ended abruptly.
After getting just 15 carries over two weeks, Blue was a healthy scratch against the Cardinals, with Malik Davis getting the nod instead. That’s the kind of decision that leaves fans scratching their heads. Imagine the offense with a change-of-pace back who could stretch the field; someone like Tony Pollard, who ironically was available at the trade deadline. Adding a back with burst would complement Williams perfectly and open up play-action opportunities for Dak Prescott. Without that speed element, this offense continues to feel predictable and one-dimensional in the rushing attack.
Why Quinnen Williams is the real deal.
The Dallas Cowboys made a big splash this week when they traded for New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The former Alabama stud defender was highly coveted coming out of college, which is why he was selected third overall in the 2019 NFL draft. He’s been sensational from the onset. Despite being known as a run-stopping specialist, he has surprisingly good pass-rushing skills, racking up at least 5.5 sacks in each of the last five seasons. He compiled an amazing 12 sacks in 2022, earning first-team All-Pro honors.
To land Williams, the Cowboys will give up the better of the two first-round picks from 2027, one of which they gained from the Micah Parsons trade. Additionally, they gave up their second-round pick from the 2026 draft. Because of draft pick depreciation, the value of a 2027 first-rounder is equivalent to a second-round pick in 2026. So essentially, they got Williams for two second-round picks. That’s a good value for a player of his caliber.
Some are questioning his talent, oddly, because his sack total this season sits at a measly one sack. This is his seventh season in the pros, so many are already labeling him in a “decline” state, but there is no physical evidence to suggest such. He’s 27 years old and has plenty of good years left. If you look at six-time Pro Bowler Chris Jones from the Kansas City Chiefs, he didn’t earn his first first-team All-Pro until the age of 28, where he then reeled off three-straight first-team All-Pro seasons.
Anyone who puts on the tape of Williams should be immediately pleased. He’s the kind of guy who does so many things well and whose success is built on razor-sharp fundamentals that won’t be nullified by declining physical traits, because he never had elite traits in the first place. Williams is an “it-factor” guy who possesses the intangibles because of his play instincts and breadth of skills. The Cowboys finally have themselves a legit force along the interior defensive line, and today we’ll run through the skills that make Williams such a remarkable asset for the defense.
LEVERAGE
At 6’3”, 303 pounds, Williams doesn’t have the mammoth size that most run-stopping defensive tackles have. He doesn’t possess overpowering strength and looks like he would be susceptible to being pushed around, but those moments rarely happen. He does a remarkable job staying low and getting under the chest of his blockers. His hands are so quick that he puts himself in a position to win with leverage consistently. This is a big reason he’s known for resetting the line of scrimmage. It doesn’t matter if he is fighting through double teams or going one-on-one. He drives the blockers where he wants to go.
AWARENESS
One of the things that makes Williams so effective is how he’s always spying the ball carrier. He’s never going to get caught up, entangled with his blockers, unaware of what is happening with the play. His eyes are always locked on where the play is going. His football IQ and play diagnoses are high-level. When you combine his heightened awareness with his physical ability to move the line of scrimmage, it puts him in a great position to shut down running lanes and take shots at the ball carrier at a high rate. Williams is a fundamentalist who uses his sharp optics to attack, and he is rarely off his target.
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