Blockbuster NFL trade gives Dallas Cowboys the perfect excuse to pursue menacing player they’ve wanted before

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