Last May, the Dallas Cowboys made a significant splash by engaging in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers to acquire wide receiver George Pickens.
And the move obviously worked out rather well for America's Team, as Pickens came in and had the best year of his career, setting new personal bests and leading the team in every major receiving category with 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, thus earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl as well as a Second-Team All-Pro selection.
Sadly, Pickens—and every other member of the Cowboys' offense—saw their efforts wasted, as the Dallas defense cost the team several victories throughout the course of the 2025 season, ultimately ending the campaign ranked 30th in total yards allowed (377.0) and dead last in points allowed (30.1) per game.
The Cowboys, of course, have a big decision to make on Pickens this offseason, as he's one of more than 20 players on the Dallas roster set to enter some sort of free agency. The franchise tag seems to be the play, but a long-term extension could be in the cards as well. But we'll just wait and see what happens there.
While keeping the offense as dangerous as possible is naturally important, the biggest priority for Jerry Jones & Co. this offseason obviously needs to be improving the defense for new DC Christian Parker. And Bobby Belt of 105.3 The Fan believes part of that process should involve another phone call to the Steelers to inquire about the availability of edge rusher Nick Herbig.
Nick Herbig is a low-risk, high-reward trade option for the Dallas Cowboys
Herbig's name was a big topic of conversation earlier this week on 105.3 The Fan, and Belt had no problem throwing the 24-year-old into the ring as a possible trade candidate for the Cowboys.
"You don't have to go get Maxx Crosby, but you can go get Nick Herbig. Now, Nick Herbig from the Pittsburgh Steelers, we've already worked out one trade for a Steelers player, a disgruntled Steelers player. Why not potentially another?"
A fourth-round pick of the Steelers in 2023, Herbig hasn't gotten many chances to start, making just 11 in his three seasons, but he's certainly made the most of the snaps he has gotten.
Despite playing just 60 percent of Pittsburgh's defensive snaps this past season, the Wisconsin alum racked up 7.5 sacks, ranking second on the team behind only Alex Highsmith's 9.5. Yes, Herbig had more than T.J. Watt, who had 7.0, despite playing 202 fewer snaps. So, that certainly says a lot.
Belt used the word "disgruntled," and the reason for that is because it's been reported that Herbig has made it crystal clear that he wants to be moved into a starting role.
And that could certainly be available in Dallas, as Dante Fowler Jr. is set to hit the open market. One edge seems to be reserved for Donovan Ezeiruaku, but the other could be open depending on what happens with Jadeveon Clowney.
If the Cowboys can convince former head coach Mike McCarthy to part with him, Herbig would only cost $1,313,231 against the salary cap, which is nothing. And as he's set to play the 2026 season on the final year of his rookie deal, there is absolutely no risk for Dallas here, outside of parting with a draft pick, of course. As long as that pick isn't too early, this is undoubtedly something the Cowboys should consider.