The Cowboys traded for Jones, sending picks to the Steelers, but what does the signing now mean for the offensive line?
The Dallas Cowboys this weekend traded a third- and sixth-round pick in exchange for Pittsburgh Steelers tackle Broderick Jones and a fourth-round pick.
What does it all mean?
CowboysRoundtable.com predicted before the deal that Dallas would be pursuing a trade for a tackle.
Why?
We know that the Cowboys' depth at tackle isn't the best, and with Terence Steele looking so-so in camp, the franchise clearly felt a need to make a move. ... maybe to give him competition. ...
Or, at the very least, to give Dallas a capable swing tackle.
And with Nate Thomas and Drew Shelton also looking like they aren't up to it just yet, the Cowboys didn't wait to pull the trigger on a move.
But now the big question comes and that is what Jones will be for Dallas.
Is he the backup right tackle to Steele? Or is he competition for the veteran? Plus, is he now Dallas' swing tackle? Given that he can play at both tackle spots.
A former first-round pick, Steelers.com recently stated that they "couldn't imagine" Jones being traded or released, yet here we are.
Per Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports, it was a surprise that Jones was medically cleared for training camp after a neck injury that required fusion surgery and halted his 2025 season rather early (played and started in 11 games).
Halicke also stated that Jones in preseason has been rather "uninspiring," so we wonder exactly how healthy Jones is or if he is taking a while to get back to feeling like himself.
Having fusion neck surgery isn't a small thing, and while he has been back at camp with the Steelers, it is clear that Dallas sees something in the 6-5, 311-pound Jones; otherwise, it wouldn't have traded for him.
A lot of Steelers beat writers state that Jones is better at left tackle than on the right side, and he does have 38 starts in the league, so that is something, but his play this offseason has been so-so.
Nick Farabaugh, another beat writer, posted on X:
"Jolly guy. He is a great locker room vibes guy who is always happy around the facility. Loved by teammates. Athletic player. Has some bad habits (waist-bending, crossing feet, wide hands, etc.) that get him into trouble. Good demeanor in the run game."
I wonder if the Cowboys have signed him as a backup/swing tackle/rotational player as he gets his feet under him after his neck surgery. It would take anyone some time to get back to feeling like themselves, and in Dallas, Jones likely isn't expected to step in as a key cog straight away, if at all.
Plus, a little sidenote, Jones is a free agent after the 2026 season, so if it doesn't work out, he could be on the move. But would Dallas allow him to move on after giving up what it did? That is another thread to pull at a later time.
The reaction to the move has been mixed, but it is clear the Cowboys don't feel great about their tackle depth with Thomas and Shelton, and think that regardless of Jones' preseason ups and downs, he can offer more than both.
And that speaks volumes.
