So, maybe Jerry Jones actually was talking about football when he said after the Cowboys' Week 2 win that "there's nothing more dangerous than an old man with money." Jones put those words into action late Wednesday night, as Dallas acquired Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Is Porter Jr. going to fix the defense by himself? Obviously not, but three weeks into the season, it’s clear that folks put the cart before the horse by proclaiming the Cowboys’ defense a much improved unit before ever watching this group play together.
But was this a good trade for Dallas? Let's get into it.
Joey Porter Jr. will help a depleted and disjointed Cowboys defense
The Cowboys are sending a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to Pittsburgh. If you told me that they gave up their 2027 second-round pick, I would feel a lot differently about the trade.
Dallas managed to add a very good football player, and they held onto their first- and second-round picks in what many are anointing as a historically good 2027 class. That's significant.
It stands to reason that the Steelers would have traded Porter Jr. sooner if a viable offer had materialized. The Cowboys weren't the only team to inquire about the 26-year-old, either. ESPN reported that the Lions also checked in. That suggests Pittsburgh may have been holding out for a first-round pick or, at the very least, a premium selection in next year's draft.
Instead, Dallas waited them out and landed Porter without touching the most valuable pieces of its remaining 2027 draft capital. That's a great job by the front office.
First George Pickens, and now Joey Porter Jr. The Cowboys should keep making trades with the Steelers. They got the best player in both deals, and neither required Dallas to mortgage its future. If Pittsburgh keeps picking up the phone, Jerry Jones might as well keep calling.
Cowboys' Joey Porter Jr. trade grade: B+
Is Porter Jr. better in man coverage than in zone? No doubt, but he's a top-tier man corner. It's not like he's unplayable in off coverage.
And while Christian Parker has called zone over 70 percent of the time, he is playing man coverage 24.8 percent of the time, which is higher than the league average of 23.2 percent. Porter will have plenty of chances to show off his greatest strength without forcing Parker to fundamentally change his defense
Porter may not be a perfect fit in Parker's scheme, but does that really matter? You'd be hard-pressed to find a defensive coordinator who'd turn down an elite press-man corner. Parker moves around his cornerbacks, too, which will allow Porter to shadow opposing No. 1 receivers.
Porter's presence will also allow Parker to play his best players. Porter and Cobie Durant, when he returns from his hamstring injury, could start on the outside, with DaRon Bland shifting to the nickel. This would allow Caleb Downs to move to safety, where he's more comfortable.
And this is not to say that Downs has been poor in the nickel. Quite the opposite, actually. However, his greatest trait is his football IQ and ability to diagnose plays before they happen. Playing deeper would give Downs a wider view of the offense and allow him to put those instincts to use from sideline to sideline, rather than primarily operating near the line of scrimmage.
Another positive? Bland is no longer your top cornerback. Even though the Cowboys paid Bland CB1 money, it's clear he's more of a CB2. With Porter taking on the opponent's top receiving threat, Bland can settle into a role that's better suited to his strengths. We could see the best version of Bland now that he isn't tasked with covering lesser receivers.
Dallas has to decide whether to pay Joey Porter Jr.
The reason Porter is no longer a Steeler is that Pittsburgh wasn't willing to pay him a premium contract. Despite that, an extension was not part of the trade.
Does Dallas view Porter as a rental? Will they revisit an extension after the season? If they let him walk this offseason, they could recoup a third-round compensatory pick, assuming he fetches a nice deal on the open market.
This adds another question for next offseason, but that's a tomorrow problem. You could argue that the trade looks better than the Cowboys didn't (at least not yet) give Porter a monster contract to facilitate the trade.
All in all, this is a really good move by Dallas. They added a player with premium traits to a secondary that badly needs his skill set. It's really that simple. The front office added a proven difference-maker to what is currently a bad defense, and they did it without sacrificing their most valuable 2027 draft capital.
This is a B+ all day long.
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