The Dallas Cowboys should waste no time picking up the phone and calling the Pittsburgh Steelers following the latter's blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins for CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith.
After the news, I wrote about how that transaction opened the door for the Cowboys to send Luke Schoonmaker to the Dolphins in return of draft picks but now it's time to discuss possibly upgrading at the position.
Long story short: The Cowboys should attempt to trade for Steelers TE Darnell Washington, who is likely available following Pittsburgh's addition of Jonnu Smith.
The Cowboys looked at Washington closely during the 2023 NFL Draft process, even bringing him in as one of their Top 30 pre-draft visits. Washington ended up sliding to the third round mostly due to a knee injury. However, he has yet to miss a game in the league.
Washington's receiving numbers have been even less impressive than Schoonmaker's but he has been a menace in the blocking department. Often times, the Steelers have tasked Washington with blocking defensive ends and he's more than handled his own. His physical playing style fits the 12 and 13 personnel groupings expected from head coach Brian Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams.
It’s time for the Cowboys to make a call. pic.twitter.com/biNH2EMpp7
— Mauricio Rodríguez (@MauNFL) June 30, 2025
Adams in particular could love the addition, as he comes from an Arizona Cardinals offense that heavily relied on tight ends as blockers in concepts such as counter, which features two pulling blockers. If the Cowboys believe Washington is a better run blocker than Schoonmaker is, it's absolutely worth looking at the trade scenario. I'm not sure you can get more physical tan Washington.
As for Pittsburgh, they now have Pat Freiermuth and Smith, which means Washington is TE3 at best. Given he doesn't play special teams in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are unlikely to ask for a lot.
I reached out to A to Z Sports' Steelers expert Rob Gregson for his take on what the Cowboys would be getting on Washington.
What would the Cowboys get in Darnell Washington?
The Steelers invested third-round capital in Washington two years ago, and they have received a little less than they hoped for on their investment. That's not all of Washington's fault, though. He showed signs of progress in the passing game last year, but he has been primarily utilized in 12 or even 13 personnel for the Steelers during his first two years, and mainly in the run game.
But when he's had the ball in his hands or received targets, he's been a good player. He saw his targets more than double in 2024, and his receiving yards went from 61 in 2023 to 200 last season. He is far from refined as a route runner, but he is a freakish athlete at over 6-7, close to 300 pounds, yet consistently displays his sub-4.7 tested speed.
For a Cowboys team that already traded for one Steelers playmaker, adding what is essentially a sixth offensive lineman with pass-catching upside makes a lot of sense for this iteration of the Cowboys offense
