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The Dallas Cowboys need defensive help, but a trade for Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. may address the wrong problem at the wrong price. Locked On Cowboys host Marcus Mosher argued that Dallas is not one cornerback away from becoming even an average defense, making a costly pursuit of Porter a difficult fit for both its scheme and roster-building plan.
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Mosher said he wants to see the Cowboys become competent defensively before they sacrifice future draft capital for a major addition. His argument was not that one player cannot help, but that the move is unlikely to transform a defense that ranks near the bottom of the league.
Porter, a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has yet to play this season as he recovers from a back injury. He and the team are at odds over a contract extension, and the team reportedly is willing to listen to trade offers.
Mosher called Porter an excellent press-man cornerback with the size and physicality to disrupt receivers, but he questioned whether Dallas would maximize that skill set in a defense that asks its corners to play significant zone coverage. Mosher also cited concerns about Porter’s turnover production and tackling, framing the potential move as a talent upgrade that may not cleanly match the Cowboys’ system.
Locked On Cowboys co-host Landon McCool said Dallas could build coverages that put Porter in more favorable man assignments, and he agreed that press-man ability carries value regardless of future coaching changes. McCool nevertheless shared the concern over the double cost of a trade package followed by a major extension.
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Mosher’s preferred target profile is an impact edge rusher. He pointed to the Baltimore Ravens repeatedly finding favorable matchups against Dallas linebackers, a problem a new cornerback would not solve. More pressure up front, he argued, could help the Cowboys protect a vulnerable secondary while improving the unit as a whole.
Dallas has room to explore defensive trades before the deadline, and McCool said the team has already seen enough to justify seeking more talent. The hosts’ larger warning is that urgency should not push the Cowboys into another deal driven by a player’s draft pedigree rather than his current fit, cost and ability to repair the defense’s most damaging weaknesses.
The Cowboys need not ignore an opportunity to land Porter, but their next move should improve the entire defensive equation rather than add another expensive piece to a unit with unresolved problems at linebacker and along the edge.
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This story was originally published September 30, 2026 at 6:30 AM.