Cowboys trade rumor reveals Dallas almost acquired second Jets defender

The Dallas Cowboys had quite the deadline day after pulling off a massive trade with the New York Jets.

The trade heard 'round the world saw Dallas acquire star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in exchange for one first-round pick and one second-round pick and defensive lineman Mazi Smith.

It was easily one of the most surprising trades of the day, along with the Jets trading star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts.

In the aftermath of deadline day, ESPN's Dan Graziano revealed that Williams was not the only Jets defender the Cowboys were pursuing. Jerry Jones also tried to pull off a trade for linebacker Quincy Williams, but it didn't pan out.

When that didn't come to fruition, the Cowboys pivoted to acquiring linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I heard that at one point the Cowboys were talking to the Jets about a deal that would have sent Dallas both Williams brothers -- Quinnen and linebacker Quincy Williams. But that didn't work out, and the Cowboys pivoted to former Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson," Graziano wrote.

Quincy Williams was widely considered a trade candidate in several reports and, in fact, it was considered far more likely he would be moved than Quinnen.

One upside to acquiring Wilson over Williams is the fact that Wilson is under contract through 2027, so he could be a multi-year solution. Williams, on the other hand, will be a free agent in 2026.

But the Bengals aren't locked into Wilson's deal by any stretch. He can be cut without penalty in each of the next two seasons, so there's no harm done if he doesn't work out.