The Dallas Cowboys are approaching Tuesday's trade deadline, and one of the biggest questions is which direction they’ll decide to go. With a record of 3-3-1 heading into Monday night’s game with the Arizona Cardinals, there’s an argument for Dallas to buy and get back into the NFC playoff race. But with one of the league’s worst defenses, adding just one player may not be enough to turn America's Team into a championship contender.
Cowboys Reportedly Shopping Mazi Smith as Former 1st-Round Pick Struggles to Find Role
It’s not shocking to hear Smith’s name in trade talks. A first-round pick by the Cowboys in the 2023 draft, Smith hasn’t been the run-stuffer Dallas thought they were getting on the interior of their defensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith had a run stop percentage of 4.0% in his rookie season and 6.0% in his second season. But his percentage dropped to 4.4% this year, signaling another regression for the 24-year-old.
This performance hasn’t endeared Smith to the new coaching staff led by head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and the Michigan product has only played in five games this season. While part of that has been based on conditioning concerns at the beginning of the year, he hasn’t looked natural since his return, often looking overwhelmed on the field.
Of course, this is a situation where Rapoport may be stating the obvious. Now in Year 3, Smith isn’t showing any signs of progress, and it would be best for both sides to move on. He's also had three defensive coordinators in as many years, and none have been able to unlock him. Other teams can see Smith’s struggles as well, though, and any acquisition would be an ill-advised bet that he could turn it around.
Perhaps a team like the Buffalo Bills could use another player on the interior after losing Ed Oliver to injury this week. The Cowboys could also get the Green Bay Packers on the phone to see if they want to make another deal to build their interior line depth. Even if the answer is yes, the Cowboys probably wouldn’t get much in a trade, likely looking for a conditional late-round pick.
Is that enough to get a deal done? That remains to be seen. But it appears Dallas has at least thrown Smith out there hoping another team will bite.