Cowboys, Bills floated as trade destinations for $21 million linebacker

The Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills are two teams that could stand to get better in the middle of their defense. 

The Cowboys have the worst pass defense in the league in terms of yards allowed and a bottom three rush defense. The Bills, meanwhile, have been great against the pass, but are bottom five against the run. 

Luckily, there could be some quality options for both teams as we approach the trade deadline. 

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently identified landing spots for the top trade candidates. For the Cowboys and Bills, Knox thinks linebacker Cody Barton, who is currently playing on the lowly Tennessee Titans, would be a perfect fit. 

In a potential trade, Knox thinks Barton could be had for a mid-round pick. Knox offered the following analysis: 

General manager Mike Borgonzi arrived this past offseason. Shortly after, he signed linebacker Cody Barton to a three-year, $21 million deal. Under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn't want to part with one of his marquee additions just a few months later.

Tennessee is in a tough spot, though, and if it truly is willing to move almost any player on its roster, Barton would be one of its most attractive trade chips.

The 28-year-old has 102 games and 50 starts on his resume, and he's been a productive starter in his last few stops—he already has 42 tackles and two interceptions this season.

As Knox pointed out, Barton was just added on a three-year deal last offseason, but the Titans are very bad and just need to accumulate picks. 

So far in 2025, Barton has 42 tackles, one tackle for loss, and two interceptions. The veteran has been a reliable starter across stints with four different teams and could definitely make the Cowboys or Bills better. 

In Dallas, the Cowboys are currently relying on fifth-round rookie Shemar James and veteran Kenneth Murray Jr. to start at linebacker. Murray has been among the worst linebackers in the league so far and James hasn't been much better. 

Interestingly, the Titans are the team that traded Murray to the Cowboys earlier this year, so perhaps another deal for a linebacker would be easy to accomplish. 

In Buffalo, the Bills are dealing with injuries to both starters at linebacker. Matt Milano is dealing with a pectoral injury while Terrel Bernard is dealing with an ankle. Barton would provide injury insurance at the very least, but could also be a key contributor down the stretch if needed.