Jordyn Brooks #20 of the Miami Dolphins is a Dallas Cowboys trade target.
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Jordyn Brooks #20 of the Miami Dolphins is a Dallas Cowboys trade target.
It was just a few days ago that Dallas Cowboys beat writer Nick Harris ignited an intrastate firestorm with a most offhand suggestion that the team has had “discussions” about trades for linebackers around the league. He mentioned that Dallas was not pursuing the Steelers’ Patrick Queen, but he did say that the team still has the Dolphins‘ Jordyn Brooks and the Texans’ Azeez Al-Shaair on the wish list. Folks in Houston were not happy about it, pointing out that Al-Shaair is a heart-and-soul guy on one of the NFL’s best defenses and not about to shipped up to the Cowboys.
Again, the Cowboys are weighing their options at linebacker, and there is some sense in inquiring about Al-Shaair, who will be 29 in August and is entering the final year of his contract. But Houstonians wanted to hear nothing of it.
Addressing the backlash from his Al-Shaair post, Harris told the DLLS Cowboys podcast, “This is what I get for throwing chum in the water in March.”
Cowboys ‘Chasing Linebackers’
But of course, the Cowboys do need to find themselves a linebacker, the so-called “green dot” of the defense who can organize and lead the team in the middle. They’ve failed badly at their last two attempts, acquiring Kenneth Murray last year, who was somehow worse than Eric Kendricks was the previous year.
Said Harris: “The Cowboys are chasing linebackers and they’re trying to get creative with what that approach actually looks like. This is part of it. I think their starting linebacker comes from the trade market as of today. They’re looking at the trade market, seeing what the options look like.
“I was asked about three specific names—Queen, Al-Shaair and Brooks—and I was like, ‘Yeah, they pivoted off Queen but they’ve discussed Al-Shaair and Brooks.’ And, oh my God, you would have thought I said they’re trading for both of them by the end of the weekend and it’s finalized.”
Cowboys Likely Need at Least 2 Linebackers
Brooks, it should be noted, is still an option for the Cowboys, and as good as he has been for the Dolphins–he was an All-Pro who led the league with 183 tackles–that team is facing an impossible financial situation and needs to jettison more salary. The Cowboys could use that as an opportunity to pluck Brooks.
Anyway you look at it, the Cowboys need to do something in the coming weeks.
Asked about the linebacker situation, Harris said, “Not strong, from an off-ball perspective. (DeMarvion) Overshown, obviously, yes. But when Brian Schottenheimer is at his press conference in Indianapolis and he is mentioning Justin Barron, I don’t think that’s necessarily a good indication of where the roster is at.”
Seeking ‘A Long-Term Solution’
Harris said the Cowboys will likely fix the hole with a trade, though a perfectly reasonable approach would seem to be to sign one of the handful of available, good, veteran linebackers to a one-year deal and draft a long-term fit as well.
“As the situation sits, I still think there are some good options on the free-agent market,” Harris said. “Bobby Wagner would be fine as a one-year rental, absolutely, but I think they want more of a long-term solution.”