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For the Dallas Cowboys, the 2025 season has been anything but predictable. What began with the shocking offseason trade of Micah Parsons has spiraled into a turbulent campaign. After a demoralizing 27–17 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals, team owner Jerry Jones made yet another bold move. He swung for a star in an effort to save the season. By acquiring All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, the Cowboys don’t seem to be giving up on contention just yet.
The move was monumental but ultimately incomplete. Sure, Williams fortifies the middle of Dallas’ defense. However, the absence of a dominant edge rusher continues to haunt this roster. If the Cowboys truly want to climb back into the NFC playoff race, they still need to sign a proven, experienced EDGE rusher to replace the game-changing presence Parsons once provided.
2025 has been tumultuous for the Cowboys. Again, it started with the trade of star pass-rusher Micah Parsons following his contract holdout. Now, it has culminated in a disappointing 3–5–1 record through Week 9. Their defense has fallen apart, ranking near the bottom of the league, particularly against the run.
That reality led Jones and the front office to act aggressively at the 2025 NFL trade deadline. In a surprising pair of moves, Dallas acquired linebacker Logan Wilson and All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The blockbuster deal with the New York Jets saw the Cowboys send defensive tackle Mazi Smith and the better of their two 2027 first-round picks to land Williams.
The price was steep, but the payoff could be enormous. Williams immediately became the team’s best interior defender. He can collapse pockets and swallow up running lanes. Reports indicate the Cowboys plan to extend Williams long-term, too. That would solidify him as a cornerstone of their rebuilt defense.
Williams should drastically improve Dallas’ run defense. He’s ranked as a top-10 interior lineman by Pro Football Focus. His combination of power and athleticism makes him one of the league’s most disruptive interior defenders. Still, this trade is more about potential than immediate results. Williams can plug gaps, but he can’t solve the Cowboys’ problems alone.
If nothing else, the trade reaffirmed Jones’ faith in head coach Brian Schottenheimer and the existing roster. To make this investment pay off, though, the Cowboys must finish what they started. That means signing a premier edge rusher to complete their defensive overhaul.
Here we’ll try to look at and discuss the next signing that the Dallas Cowboys must make after trading for Quinnen Williams.
Trading for Williams was a massive step in repairing the defense. That said, the Cowboys’ work is far from finished. With Parsons gone, the team’s once-feared pass rush has lost its teeth. Williams and Kenny Clark can dominate the interior. Still, without an explosive edge presence, opposing quarterbacks will have too much time to throw.
The Cowboys must now target a proven EDGE rusher to complement Williams and restore...
