Bills, Bengals projected to have trade interest in Cowboys defender on the hot seat

Mike Moraitis

•

Bills, Bengals projected to have trade interest in Cowboys defender on the hot seat image

Few players on the Dallas Cowboys have a seat as hot as the one defensive lineman Mazi Smith is sitting on.

Smith has been a total bust after being a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft and he was a healthy scratch over the first two weeks of this season. Smith got back in the lineup the last two games, but has played sparingly.

At this point, the Cowboys would probably take a Gatorade cooler for Smith, who is destined to be cut at some point this season or before next if he doesn't right the ship quickly.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox thinks the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals could have trade interest in the first-round draft bust.

While the Cowboys wouldn't get much in return for Smith, they could get something. The Michigan product is a 6'3", 337-pound 24-year-old who could interest teams seeking a developmental interior defender.
There's no guarantee Smith would reach his potential outside of Dallas, but there's no denying that size isn't coachable.
Potential Suitors: Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals

There really is no end to the list of teams that could take a flyer on Smith.

While Knox suggests a 2026 sixth-round pick as Smith's value, we're hesitant to even give him that much credit and chances are the Cowboys will only get a seventh.

At that price, there will be teams willing to take a swing on Smith in the hopes they can help him find whatever it is he doesn't have currently.

The Bills might be the more likely team to try. They lost 2024 third-round pick and defensive lineman DeWayne Carter for the season and could use another body as a result.

The Bengals could turn to a trade for Smith to bring in a young player they hope figures it out. Cincinnati should never shy away from options like that given the team's perennial ineptitude on defense.

Given the fact that Smith's release looks inevitable, teams might just wait it out on Dallas to see if they make that move instead of giving up any draft capital for him.

If the Cowboys get an offer, they should take it and not look back.

MORE NFL NEWS

Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who covers the NFL for the Sporting News. Over his nearly two decades covering sports, Mike has also worked for Bleacher Report, USA TODAY and FanSided. He hates writing in the third person.