It's rare for the Dallas Cowboys to execute a big trade at the deadline, much less two.
Despite the precedent, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys' front office made moves for Bengals' linebacker Logan Wilson and Jets' defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
It's a breath of fresh air for one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Dallas ranks 31st in yards allowed per game across the league.
Now that the trades are official, what will the Cowboys' defense look like moving forward?
Cowboys' projected defense after trade deadline
Here's what each position group's starters will look like:
DE: Jadeveon Clowney
DT: Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, Kenny Clark
DE: Donovan Ezeiruaku
LB: DeMarvion Overshown, Logan Wilson
CB: DaRon Bland, Kaiir Elam, Caelen Carson
S: Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson
The most intriguing position is one Dallas has ignored for a long time, defensive tackle. The Cowboys traded a first-round pick, second-round pick, and 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith for Williams.
MORE: Why Cowboys gave up on Mazi Smith in blockbuster trade with Jets
The only problem? Dallas now has three solid to elite DT's with only two starting positions to fill. They acquired Kenny Clark in the Micah Parsons trade and signed Osa Odighuzuwa to a long-term extension in the offseason. There's a good chance that duo rotates with Williams to keep all three big defenders fresh.
The Cowboys linebacker room is going to look a lot different in the coming weeks as well. Dallas acquired Wilson from the Bengals but it's the return of DeMarvion Overshown that could make the biggest difference.
Dallas lost Overshown, arguably their best defender, torn his ACL, MCL, and PCL in Week 14 last season. He had 90 tackles, five sacks, and two forced turnovers in 13 games before the injury. Now that he is returning with the acquisition of Wilson, the center of the Cowboys' defense is much stronger.
Dallas sits at 3-5-1 outside of the playoff picture after losing to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night. If they want any chance of making a run in the postseason, they'll need these new faces to contribute quickly to a putrid defense. The Cowboys are on a bye this week before facing the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11.
Whether it's for better or for worse, the Dallas defense is going to look much different moving forward.
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