So, maybe June 1 should be bookmarked on the NFL offseason calendar from now on? While it usually produces a flurry of moves around the league thanks to the cap flexibility it affords teams, nobody expected a Fourth of July fireworks show to unfold on Monday.
In an annoying development, the Dallas Cowboys' standing in the NFC took a hit, as the Los Angeles Rams acquired Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns. Essentially, the Rams now have all six Infinity Stones, and they may get richer if Aaron Donald comes out of retirement.
The question isn't if Jerry Jones should respond; it's how he should respond. It isn't possible to acquire a Garrett equal, but trading for disgruntled Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat would be quite the counter.
Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard reported that he's heard for a while that Sweat has been "particularly unhappy" in Arizona, which may explain why Sweat hasn't reported to OTAs.
The Dallas Cowboys could trade for Josh Sweat after missing out on Myles Garrett
A lack of winning can drive any player to want out (see Garrett, Myles), but Sweat's frustration also stems from the Cardinals' decision to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon. Sweat's former defensive coordinator in Philadelphia, Gannon was a big reason Sweat signed with Arizona last offseason.
Now that we understand why Sweat (seemingly) is open to a trade, why should the Cowboys trade draft capital for him? For starters, Cowboys fans should remember how much of a nuisance he was to play against during his seven years with the Eagles.
Dating back to 2022, Sweat has averaged 53.2 pressures, 9.3 sacks, 19.5 quarterback hits, and a 75.5 pass-rush grade over the last four seasons, via Pro Football Focus. Rashan Gary is the only current member of Dallas' EDGE room who has sniffed that level of production.
If familiarity is so important to Sweat, it bears mentioning that he overlapped with Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker for two years in Philadelphia. He flourished in Vic Fangio's scheme, and Parker expects to run an extension of it in Dallas.
According to Spotrac, the Cowboys would only be on the hook for $10.88 million in 2026 ($9.78 million guaranteed), $18.1 million in 2027, and $18.1 million in 2022. That's very affordable.
But what about reps for Donovan Ezeiruaku and Malachi Lawrence? For starters, Ezeiruaku would still see the field plenty. Lawrence, meanwhile, might benefit from not being thrust into a featured role right away. First-round pick or not, that's a lot to ask of a raw rookie pass rusher on a team with playoff aspirations.
The cost will play a huge factor, too, obviously.
The Cowboys traded a 2027 fourth-round pick for Gary, and odds are they'll be reluctant to part with more capital from what is widely viewed as a historically talented draft class.
Then again, we just saw the Eagles accept a 2028 first-round pick from the Patriots for A.J. Brown. If Dallas plays its cards right, perhaps it could convince Arizona to settle for a 2028 third- or fourth-round pick.
Either way, Sweat's name should already be circulating inside The Star if it isn't already.
Add us as a preferred source on Google