The Cowboys should try to steal this player from Dan Quinn.
Whomever put a hex on the Dallas Cowboys' secondary in 2024 has worked overtime. They just got DaRon Bland back from injured reserve only for Trevon Diggs to miss the last two games with groin and knee injuries.
It sounds impossible, but the Cowboys have not had Diggs, Bland and Jourdan Lewis play in the same game this season. At full strength, cornerback is without question the strongest position on the roster.
Somehow, the room took another hit on Thanksgiving as the up-and-coming Josh Butler suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season. With five passes defended in three starts, Butler had started to earn defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's trust after getting signed to the active roster.
With Diggs banged up and rookie Caelen Carson potentially headed to IR, the Cowboys could use another CB for the final five games. Well, they have an ideal option in former first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes, who was released by the Commanders over the weekend.
Cowboys should sign Emmanuel Forbes following Commanders release
It's not like Dan Quinn to give up on a first-round talent and Forbes has the lanky build that Quinn loves in his corners. However, the writing had been on the wall with Forbes. He played just eight total snaps over Washington's previous five games and was a healthy scratch three times this year.
Forbes was an elite playmaker at Mississippi State. The big knock on him, though, was his slight frame. He's 180 pounds soaking wet and many draft experts worried that would rear its ugly head both in coverage against physical receivers and tackling ball-carriers.
Not only has Forbes' tackling been a travesty, but he's struggled in coverage as well. In 20 career games, he has a 47.8 coverage grade and 31.2 run-defense grade, per PFF. He has 15 missed tackles and owns a 113.7 passer rating allowed when targeted.
Those numbers do not inspire much confidence. However, Dallas was higher than most on Forbes during the 2023 draft. According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys were "closely watching" Forbes, who went No. 16 overall to Washington.
The Cowboys narrowed their selections to Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith and Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron, but their interest in Forbes was very real. While Quinn is no longer the defensive coordinator in Dallas, Forbes would be the perfect reclamation projected for defensive backs coach and assistant head coach Al Harris.
Forbes has not had a great start to his NFL career and is firmly in the "bust" category. However, he is still 23 years old and desperately needs a change of scenery. He's owed essentially the vet minimum for the rest of the season, $2 million next year and $2.5 million in 2026 so he is very affordable.
Forbes is absolutely worth a dart throw. Not only is Harris a cornerback whisperer, but the Cowboys should be in the CB market with Diggs and Carson banged up and following Butler's season-ending injury.
