The NFL trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and while we’d like to think that the many issues on hand for the Cowboys with their 2024 roster will make a trade for Dallas inevitable, we also know that Jerry Jones is running the show. That means inaction is always likely to be Door No. 1, and it’s probable there is no Door No. 2.
Still, imagining for a moment that the team is still focused on winning in 2024, one issue that the Cowboys could clearly address at the deadline is its battered defensive line. The Cowboys have not been great when it comes to pressuring the quarterback and currently average 2.3 sacks per game, which is 17th in the NFL.
And stopping the run has not gone much better: The Cowboys have allowed 859 yards this season, which ranks 27th in the NFL.
Cowboys Are ‘Short-Handed’ at Pass Rusher
With that in mind, when ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler wrote about the Bears’ potential interest in trading away pass rusher Dominque Robinson, it was almost natural for the ears of folks in Cowboys Country to perk up.
“The Bears are also weighing trade options with pass rusher Dominique Robinson, who could use a fresh start elsewhere. Teams such as the Cowboys, Cardinals and Commanders are short-handed at pass rusher,” Fowler noted.
Robinson is a 2022 fifth-round pick who was pushed to third string after the team acquired Montez Sweat last year. He is a former receiver at Miami (Ohio) who will need some development, but who has the raw skills and athleticism to play the position.
As NFL.com wrote in its scouting report on Robinson, “Wideout turned quarterback hunter with the bricks and mortar needed to build an impactful career as a 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 rush end. Robinson frequently flashes despite his relative inexperience at the position. He’s quick off the snap, using plus fluidity, athleticism and bend to trim the edge and assail the pocket.”
The Cowboys have been dinged at defensive end with Micah Parsons injured, though he is expected to return soon. Chauncey Golston has played well at edge, but 32-year-old DeMarcus Lawrence (foot), is injured and showing his age while rookie Marshawn Kneeland has shown his inexperience and is out until November with a knee injury.
Robinson does have long-term potential, but the Cowboys are in a short-term situation, so it’s questionable that he’d be a fit.
