Dallas shores up its struggling defense, acquiring linebacker Logan Wilson in a strategic move that could benefit the team for years to come.
The Dallas Cowboys have been wildly disappointing on the field this season, due in large part to the struggles of the defense. The defensive backs have been injured and ineffective, key names on the defensive line have been extremely disappointing, and the linebackers group has been consistently hitting their worst case scenarios each week.
After teasing it yesterday, it would seem that Jerry Jones finally got fed up with at least one of these holes constantly leaking out big plays. It’s been reported by multiple outlets that the team has acquired linebacker Logan Wilson of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Up until this year, Wilson had been highly productive with four straight 100+ tackle seasons and 11 career interceptions (best among MLB's since his debut), although he hasn’t had a pick since 2023. He also has 25 career pass breakups, showing that he’s at the very least not a liability in coverage.
This season has been rocky though, as he was benched after Week 5 due to both subpar performance and the team’s desire to play younger players such as Barrett Carter. He hasn’t played more than 26 snaps in a game sense, leading to a trade request that has now been granted.
Despite these struggles, he’s a marked upgrade over what Dallas has had at the position this season. While Wilson only ranks No. 58 at the position according to PFF, that’s far better than the Nos. 74 and 78 placements that Shemar James and Kenneth Murray have respectively earned.
While Jack Sanborn ranked No. 55, he’s been placed on the IR and could possibly done for the year. So, while Wilson isn’t necessarily a high end player, he’s better than what the Cowboys have on the roster.
Looking long term, Wilson has two years left on the four-year, $36 million extension he signed in 2023. According to Spotrac, he’ll have a cap hit of $6.55m in 2026 and $7.215m in 2027. Both are reasonable, if not higher than ideal, numbers.
Notably, Dallas could cut Wilson after this season and incur no dead money on the cap. So, look at those last two years more like team options that the team could renew if they like what Wilson brings each season.
While it’s easy to pile on to Jerry Jones, this is a nice piece of business. For the cost of a measly seventh round pick, the team gets an eight game look at a productive player at a position of need. If they don’t like what they see, they can move on quickly and cleanly.
But, if Wilson can bounce back and get closer to his 2021-2024 peak, then this move might have addressed a 2026 position of need already. Not bad for a late day three pick.
Trade Grade: B+