The Dallas Cowboys are expected to be heavily involved in trade talks before the deadline as they want to put together a better defense to pair with their elite offense. Most of the rumored targets for the Cowboys have been pass rushers, specifically, edge rushers.
In fact, Dallas purportedly inquired about Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, but follow-up reports claim Las Vegas isn't interested in dealing its four-time Pro Bowler.
But there might be another spot that the Cowboys could look to improve ahead of the Week 10 deadline.
Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson could be a Cowboys trade target
In a recent article by ESPN, they named 25 players who could (and maybe should) be moved ahead of the NFL trade deadline. They also listed potential suitors, including the Cowboys, for several targets. One player who was particularly interesting was Logan Wilson, the veteran linebacker of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals are leaning into the youth movement on defense and selected multiple linebackers during the 2025 NFL Draft. And with Wilson now sitting on the bench for Cincinnati, it makes sense that the Bengals move him before the deadline, as they could pick up draft capital and save some cap space.
The Cowboys were mentioned as a possible landing spot for Wilson, and that makes sense given their issues at linebacker. Here is what NFL analyst Matt Bowen had to say about Wilson and his play at this stage of his career:
"Wilson is a three-down defender with the coverage instincts and range to impact the pass defense. He has 11 interceptions and 11 pass breakups over his career, plus he has averaged seven tackles per game during his five-plus seasons. Wilson would be an upgrade for multiple teams in the middle of the defense."Matt Bown on Bengals LB Logan Wilson
There is no doubt that Wilson would be a major upgrade over Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn at this stage of his career. He is significantly better in coverage and is a much more reliable tackler. His contract isn’t overwhelming, whose base salary is just $5.4 million this year and $6 million.
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But what makes this complicated is the return of DeMarvion Overshown, who is expected to practice this week and make his return to the field after the Week 10 bye. He’s going to operate as one of the starting linebackers, and that should significantly help the depth for Dallas.
The Cowboys are hopeful that one of Murray, Sanborn, Marist Liufau, or Shemar James could fill in that other spot, but nobody has really stepped up to date. There is no doubt that Wilson would be an upgrade over all those names and it wouldn’t take much more than a late-round pick swap to acquire him. But like Cincinnati, Dallas might lean into the youth movement and continue to play James and Liufau next to Overshown.
Wilson would be a strong fit in Matt Eberflus’ defense, but he might be more of a short-term rental than a long-term solution. Unfortunately, that might not be of much interest for the Cowboys right now. Look for Wilson to be moved before the deadline, but don't expect Dallas to show much interest here.