Cowboys trade rumors from Ian Rapoport reveal deadline focus, edge rusher options

It's no secret that the Dallas Cowboys need to improve their defense.

Entering Week 9, the Cowboys sport one of the worst units in the NFL. The defense ranks 31st against the pass, 29th against the run and 31st in points allowed per game.

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Cowboys are exploring their options to add an edge rusher.

Rapoport goes on to add that the Las Vegas Raiders' Malcolm Koonce, the Miami Dolphins' Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb and the Tennessee Titans' Arden Key could all be options for Dallas.

The Dallas Cowboys have been in just about every trade article known to man, and this one is no exception. While they might not pull off another blockbuster like when they dealt Micah Parsons at the end of August, they are in the market for a pass rusher, sources say. Arden Key, the Dolphins' Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, and the Raiders' Malcolm Koonce are among the edge rushers who could be traded.

The Cowboys are averaging less than two sacks per game and James Houston in the only edge rusher on the team with more than one sack, so it's obvious that Dallas needs more help.

But the Cowboys are also 3-4-1 going into Sunday, so another loss might force the team to re-think its desire to improve the defense, at least with a major move.

Of the players Rapoport lists, Chubb is the only one who is under contract through next year, and he's actually inked through 2027, so he could be more than a rental.

Chubb's hefty contract might lead teams to balk at acquiring him, but he's also the most proven and productive player of the four.

Phillips, Koonce and Key are all free agents in 2026, so there's a chance the Cowboys would be giving up draft capital for a rental.

Phillips, 26, leads that trio with three sacks and is the most attractive option after he showed a ton of promise in the early part of his career with 22 sacks over his first 42 games.

Phillips got off to a slow start this season but two of those three sacks have come in the last three games, so it appears he's starting to round into form as he gets further removed from his 2024 torn ACL.

Key will probably be the cheapest because of his limited upside at the age of 29, but the veteran has proven to be a solid contributor with three seasons of six or more sacks in his last four. Key has just 1.5 sacks in five games, though.

Koonce brings up the rear with just one sack, but he did show plenty of promise before his 2024 torn ACL and meniscus with eight sacks in 2023. It's possible Koonce might pick up his sack totals as the year progresses.

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