The Dallas Cowboys made the NFL's first in-season splash, trading for standout Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. on Wednesday night.
Porter has arrived in Frisco and practiced with the team on Thursday, but it's still unclear if he'll suit up against the Houston Texans. He has yet to play this season while dealing with a back injury amid his contract dispute with Pittsburgh, so there are a couple of hurdles to clear.
It's unclear what kind of football shape he's in, and two practices may not be enough time to get him acquainted with the playbook. While we wait for a verdict, let's underline the biggest winners and losers from Dallas' big swing, shall we?
Winners and losers from the Cowboys' Joey Porter Jr. trade
Winner: Joey Porter Jr.
Did Porter sign the lucrative contract he was hoping to get from the Steelers? No, but he's a winner by simply escaping a franchise that he felt disrespected him.
The Cowboys and Porter are on the same page: the 26-year-old will play out the remaining 14 games, and contract talks will be revisited in the offseason. Both sides are hopeful they can eventually hammer out a deal that makes Porter one of the highest-paid corners in football.
In the meantime, though, Porter gets a fresh start with an organization that clearly values him. He no longer has to play for a Steelers team that handed out a host of contract extensions this offseason while leaving him waiting for his turn.
Winner: Christian Parker, DC
Through three games, Parker has not been the miracle worker that folks unfairly expected him to be this offseason. Countless first-time DCs have endured rocky starts, and Parker is no exception. He has plenty of evolving to do, but expecting him to flourish immediately with a defense this young, injured, and still adapting to a new scheme was asking a lot.
This defense needs more premium players, and while it's open to interpretation where Porter ranks among the CB hierarchy, he has premium traits with a proven track record to match.
Per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "the front office has been searching for a top cornerback talent" since the start of training camp, and the trade for Porter was "heavily backed" by the Cowboys' DC.
Don't get it twisted: Parker's defense works from back to front. Everything is contingent on coverage and communication. With Porter in the mix, this secondary could be fun once it returns to full strength.
Winner: Jerry Jones, GM
It's partly Jones' fault that Dallas needed to trade for Porter in the first place. However, if you can isolate the trade, it's an excellent move, largely because the Cowboys didn't further deplete their 2027 draft cupboard.
It only took a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, meaning Dallas still has a first- and second-round pick next year. That's huge.
The only real question is the Cowboys' long-term plan with Porter. The Steelers' refusal to pay him is the only reason he's in Dallas, and Jerry Jones may ultimately have to choose between Porter and George Pickens next offseason.
Even if Porter proves to be a rental, Dallas would be positioned to net a third-round compensatory pick if he signs a lucrative deal elsewhere. In that scenario, the Cowboys could essentially get a year of Porter while potentially moving back only 20-something picks in the 2028 draft.
That's a worthwhile safety net.
Winner: Caleb Downs, DB
Could we see Downs move back to his natural safety position? Maybe not right away, but Porter's arrival affords Parker the flexibility to present different looks.
One potential look? DaRon Bland in the slot with Porter and Cobie Durant on the outside, and Downs and Jalen Thompson at safety. That might be the Cowboys' best secondary combination when healthy, and it would be a win for Downs.
Downs plays safety when Dallas is in base, but that isn't often. You can't live in base. Per Pro Football Focus, he's logged 115 snaps in the slot, compared to 51 in the box and 26 at free safety. The No. 11 overall pick is already one of the team's best defenders, but he could be even better at strong safety.
Think about it. Downs' eyes and football IQ are his greatest strengths, and it's difficult to maximize either while he's confined to the slot. He can make a much bigger down-to-down impact playing deep safety, where he has the freedom to diagnose plays, read the quarterback and react to what's unfolding in front of him.
If you haven't felt Downs' presence as much as expected through three games, his deployment is a big reason why. Out of necessity, Parker isn't weaponizing what makes him special.
Winner: Dak Prescott, QB
No lengthy explanation needed here.
The Cowboys are currently second in points per drive (3.38) and yet have a 1-2 record. Prescott is once again playing like a top-five quarterback, but he just hasn't gotten much support from his defense.
Did Parker's unit step up against Baltimore? Yes. But 31 points should be enough to win regardless of the opponent.
The worst thing this front office could have done was watch the season sink because it didn't invest more in the defense. Prescott deserves more than that. Porter alone won't be enough to fix everything, but he'll go a long way. And with how Jones has talked about being willing to move draft capital, more trades could be on the way.
Loser: Shavon Revel, CB
There's no sugarcoating it: this trade is bad news for Revel.
As we just noted, Dallas' best secondary combination (when healthy) does not include Revel, and Porter's arrival pushes him further down the pecking order. Even if Parker elects to start Porter, Bland, and Downs at cornerback, Durant would be the top CB off the bench, not Revel.
The 2025 third-round pick isn't ready for an expanded role, which is frustrating to admit given how well he performed in training camp. But camp can only tell you so much. The play-calling is more vanilla, the stakes are nonexistent, and CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens aren't going 110 percent on every rep.
The regular season is an entirely different test. To make matters worse, he's now in danger of missing Sunday's game against the Texans with knee and ankle injuries.
Loser: Cowboys' 2027 offseason
We touched on it earlier, but you can now add Porter to the list of the Cowboys' 2027 free agents. Here's a rundown of the 21 players:
- George Pickens, WR
- Joey Porter Jr., CB
- DeMarvion Overshown, LB
- Malik Hooker, S
- T.J. Bass, OL
- Cobie Durant, CB
- Otito Ogbonnia, DT
- Broderick Jones, OT
- Dee Winters, LB
- Von Miller, OLB
- Malik Davis, RB
- Bryan Anger, P
- P.J. Locke, S
- Luke Schoonmaker, TE
- Sam Howell, QB
- James Houston, OLB
- Alijah Clark, S
- Emari Demercado, RB
- Jonathan Bullard, DT
- Tyrus Wheat, DL
- Nick Leverett, OL
- Matt Hennessy, OL
*Pauses to take a breath*
Needless to say, some tough decisions are coming.
As much as Jerry Jones would love to keep both Pickens and Porter, he also has to consider the overall balance of the roster. Paying both would give the Cowboys six players making at least $24 million per year, joining Dak Prescott ($60 million), Quinnen Williams ($35.3 million), CeeDee Lamb ($34 million) and Tyler Smith ($24 million).
That'd be an enormous amount of money concentrated among six players, especially for a roster that still has holes to fill elsewhere.
That's a problem for tomorrow. For now, live in the moment and enjoy the season. Just keep in mind that some difficult decisions are waiting on the other side. 21 free agents is a lot for any team, but Dallas also must navigate two players likely wanting north of $30 million a year.
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