If the last few days are any indication, the 2025 NFL trade deadline is going to be frenetic. Several trades have already occurred, and the Nov. 4 cutoff is still weeks away. That's good news for the Dallas Cowboys, who should be open for business amidst the best season of Dak Prescott's career.
Jerry Jones is famous for saying that "deadlines make deals", so it's more likely that the Cowboys get involved closer to the deadline. That mindset could see them miss out on ideal targets, and that happened late Wednesday when the Jaguars and Browns swapped cornerbacks and Day 3 draft picks.
As reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jaguars acquired cornerback Greg Newsome and a sixth-round draft pick for CB Tyson Campbell and a seventh-round pick.
Cowboys caught sleeping as Jaguars and Browns strike major cornerback trade
We'd argue that linebacker is a bigger need than cornerback for Dallas, but that doesn't mean Jones should turn his nose up at a potential CB upgrade. Trades can be made to win now and for the future, and acquiring Newsome would've checked both boxes.
Newsome would've been a much better fit than Campbell. A first-round pick in 2021, Newsome's wheelhouse is reading and reacting, and with his eyes on the quarterback in a zone system. The Cowboys have run zone coverage more than any team in football this season.
Still just 25 years old, Newsome has allowed a 62.7 percent completion rate in his career to go with 28 pass breakups and a 93.3 passer rating allowed when targeted. He offers the ability to play both outside and in the slot.
Newsome is currently on his fifth-year option, so Dallas would have to make a decision on his future after the season.
However, he would've had 12 games to audition for a new contract. And even if the Cowboys elected to pull the plug in the offseason, Newsome would've been a worthwhile rental to patch up a secondary that can't help but give up explosive plays.
Trevon Diggs still isn't playing a full complement of snaps, and it's anyone's guess when Caelen Carson and Shavon Revel Jr. will reenter the mix.
It's not the end of the world that the Cowboys didn't trade for Newsome. They'll most likely draft a cornerback with one of their two first-round picks next year. We just hope this isn't a sign of things to come leading up to the Nov. 4 deadline, because this roster has a long way to go on defense.