5 Pass Rushers Cowboys Must Acquire at NFL Trade Deadline After Marshawn Kneeland Injury

Arnold Ebiketie, Atlanta Falcons

Another young and talented pass rusher who has seen his role diminished is Arnold Ebiketie of the Falcons. Atlanta traded for Matthew Judon before the start of the season, pushing Ebiketie further down in the pecking order. He has played in 38% of defensive snaps so far, significantly behind Judon, Lorenzo Carter, and James Smith-Williams through five games.

When he got a chance, the 25-year-old has been impactful. In his first two NFL seasons, he registered 8.5 sacks. This season, he has 11 tackles and two QB hits. Yet, he has a career-high 64.9 PFF grade.

The Falcons should be willing to part ways with Ebiketie for a mid-round pick. The former second-round pick out of Penn State could be a worthy flyer for Jerry Jones & Co.

Al-Quadin Muhammad, Free Agent

Even though there are solid options on the trade market, Cowboys fans are all too familiar with Jerry Jones and his fears of an increase in the payroll. He is unwilling to take the risk and add more high-salary players into the mix.

Therefore, the Cowboys may choose to turn to the free-agent market instead. Obviously, the players who are still unsigned aren't the most inspiring crop of pass rushers. Yet, there may be a couple of veterans who could help Dallas in the short term.

One of those players is Al-Quadin Muhammad who spent the 2024 preseason with the Cowboys before getting released on August 28. The 29-year-old knows the team, the coaching staff, and the playbook.

Plus, he has extensive NFL experience, having played in 84 games (34 starts) in his pro career, most notably with the Indianapolis Colts. In his four years there, he amassed 11 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and 30 QB hits in 64 games.

As a backup option to fill in while the Cowboys are trying to get back to full health, Muhammad could be a solid alternative.

More Cowboys news and rumors: