The Dallas Cowboys are obviously daily readers of The Landry Hat. That's the only explanation for why they traded for Broderick Jones. It obviously had nothing to do with their glaring need for an offensive tackle.
All kidding aside, reports confirm Dallas is sending third- and sixth-round picks in 2027 to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Jones and a 2027 fourth-round pick. The Cowboys could end up moving close to 60 picks down in next year's draft or just a handful of picks.
It's a steep(ish) price to pay for a player who, at best, was going to be Pittsburgh's swing tackle. But that speaks to just how little confidence Dallas had in the tackle room behind Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele, who don't exactly inspire much confidence themselves.
Without further ado, let's dive into the biggest winners and losers from this pre-cutdown day trade.
Cowboys' biggest winners and losers from Broderick Jones trade
Winner: Stephen Jones
In hindsight, it's quite ridiculous that the Cowboys have had so much riding on Nate Thomas. The idea of Nate Thomas was always better than the reality of having him anchor the swing tackle spot.
Historically, Dallas would have let the experiment ride. This time, Stephen Jones recognized the miss and corrected it rather than letting a glaring hole fester. Swapping passive hope for proactive depth isn't just a refreshing pivot -- it's how serious front offices operate.
A fuss is being made about the compensation, but let's zoom out for a minute.
- Cowboys get: Broderick Jones and a 2027 fourth-round pick
- Steelers get: 2027 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick
It's a pick swap. Could it have been a Day 3 swap? Sure, but if the trade helps the OT depth and prevents an injury from derailing the season, it will have been worth it.
The Cowboys got a fourth back and improved their depth at a premium position. That's a fine piece of business from Mr. Jones.
Loser: Nate Thomas, OT
Unless the Cowboys go full cutthroat on us and send Drew Shelton packing, Thomas is now the odd man out in the tackle room. The team now has a viable swing tackle, albeit not a great one, so it can comfortably part with Thomas, who was projected to be the swing as of 24 hours ago.
With Jones stepping in as OT3 behind Guyton and Steele, it's easier to justify keeping Shelton. That was probably going to happen anyway, but Jones' experience will allow Dallas to redshirt the struggling fourth-rounder for hopefully his entire rookie season.
Pre-trade, there was a strong argument to be made for the Cowboys cutting their losses on Shelton. Now, it makes sense to cut Thomas, who has regressed this offseason. Pretty disappointing, given the opportunity that was in front of him.
Winner: Brian Schottenheimer
There’s a different air around the Cowboys under Brian Schottenheimer. Since taking over, he’s brought a level of adult leadership the franchise desperately needed. Outside noise and the occasional front-office debacle aside, Schotty has provided the steady hand this team required.
Without the trust Schottenheimer has built with ownership, Jerry and Stephen never pull the trigger on a move for Broderick Jones. The front office deserves credit for getting out of its own way, but that shift directly coincides with Schotty’s arrival.
Schottenheimer has dropped not-so-subtle hints all summer that he wasn't pleased with the play of Nate Thomas and Drew Shelton. He was almost certainly the driving force behind this search for an upgrade, making this trade a direct victory for Dallas' head coach.
Loser: Terence Steele, OT
Drew Shelton is an obvious loser here, but that almost goes without saying. Steele, on the other hand, is now sitting in a seat that can only be described as bubbling.
The Cowboys traded for Jones because they needed to upgrade behind Guyton and Steele, but you better believe Steele factored heavily into the decision.
Klayton Adams didn't mince words when asked about Steele's play this summer, citing a need for the veteran RT to be more consistent.
"I would say it's been up and down," Adams said of Steele. "He and I had a good conversation about that this morning of how we continue to try to find consistency."
Don't go expecting Jones to steal Steele's job. However, Dallas moved Nate Thomas to right tackle in hopes that he'd provide some competition behind Steele. Jones has been a disappointing first-round pick, to say the least, but he's far more proven than Thomas.
Steele is a clear loser of this trade.
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