Cowboys make trades to bolster defensive front

OXNARD, Calif. — The Dallas Cowboys are acquiring veteran defensive tackle Jordan Phillips from the New York Giants in a trade also involving two 2026 draft picks.

The Cowboys are also signing former Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets edge rusher Carl Lawson.

“These guys have played, they got pelts on the wall,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “They have different skill sets, obviously, different position. So, I mean, just like anything, their experience level will definitely be an asset.”

The team said the deal for Phillips was expected to be finalized Thursday. The Cowboys are also getting a seventh-round pick in 2026 while the Giants will get a sixth-round choice.

The addition of the 31-year-old Phillips adds depth to the interior of the defensive line for a club hoping to see improvement from 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith, who had a disappointing rookie season.

Phillips was a second-round pick by Miami in 2015 and has played for three teams over nine seasons. The Cowboys would be the fourth instead of the Giants, who signed Phillips in the offseason.

The former Oklahoma player started 26 of 44 games over his first three years with the Dolphins before getting released during the 2018 season.

Buffalo added Phillips in 2018 for the first of two stints with the Bills, where he started nine of 14 games last season. He had career highs of 9 1/2 sacks and 13 tackles for loss with Buffalo in 2019.

McCarthy remembered Phillips’ performance against the Cowboys in a Week 15 loss to the Bills last season.

“Well, he had a sack and he almost picked a ball off, so we talked about that today in the quarterback room,” McCarthy said. “He’s played a lot of football. We have people here that are familiar with him and feel like it’s a really good fit.”

Phillips also spent time with Arizona and has 24 sacks in 120 games with 62 starts.

Lawson, a first-round draft pick in 2017, has 27 career sacks in 74 games over six seasons. He played in just six games for the Jets last season and was limited because of a back injury sustained in training camp.

McCarthy said Lawson’s previous experience playing in the defensive system that new coordinator Mike Zimmer is installing factored into the decision to add the 29-year-old.

Dallas lost defensive end Sam Williams to a torn ACL in his left knee in the first week of training camp.

“In training camp, your roster player acquisition is always fluid, so I think it’s really good for our D-line group,” McCarthy said of the new additions.