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5 Cowboys on Thin Ice Following Trade Deadline

Even though the NFL trade deadline is over, these five Dallas Cowboys players are still on thin ice during the second half of the 2024 season.

By Devon Platana

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith (58) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.
Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith (58) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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With the 2024 NFL season trending in the wrong direction, Dallas Cowboys fans hoped to see an active performance from owner/general manager Jerry Jones at the trade deadline. Instead of improving their Super Bowl odds with blockbuster splashes, the Cowboys kept things quiet with their sole move being sending a fourth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for wideout Jonathan Mingo.

Without any major additions, the Cowboys must rely on what they have to end the campaign on a high note. While certain players have done a good job of meeting expectations, others have left much to be desired throughout the year and now their future in Dallas could be in jeopardy because of that fact.

With that being said, here are five Cowboys who are still on thin ice after the deadline.

1. Mazi Smith, DT

The Cowboys had extremely high hopes for Mazi Smith when they drafted him 26th overall in 2023. The former Michigan defensive tackle had the perfect size to be a starting defender in the NFL and the expectation was that he could patrol Dallas' D-line for years to come.

Unfortunately, Smith's rookie campaign was met with a lot of disappointment. The Southfield, MI native failed to look like a Day 1 selection more often than not in his first NFL season, however, the Cowboys were hoping that defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's offseason signing would be the key to unlocking Smith's potential.

Fast forward to Week 10 when Cowboys fans are still waiting for the 23-year-old DT to prove that he has the "it factor" that they've been waiting to see. Smith has only registered 11 solo tackles without a sack despite playing 49% of defensive snaps. He's struggling to be the run-stopper that Dallas needs, highlighted by his 28.5 run defense grade on Pro Football Focus — the worst mark among interior defenders.

No matter how the Cowboys deploy him, Smith is struggling to prove that he deserves starting minutes. His abysmal positioning and inconsistent tackling are big factors in why Dallas has struggled to stop the run all season long.

If Smith fails to display his first-round potential down the stretch, the Cowboys might want to start re-thinking his future with the franchise this offseason.

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