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The Dallas Cowboys are 3-5-1 after losing two in a row, but Jerry Jones has decided to go all in to try to save their season. The Cowboys owner pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire three-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets on Tuesday, just hours ahead of the NFL's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. 

To make the deal happen, the Cowboys are sending a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to New York. 

Now that we have the details of the deal, let's grade the trade: 

Cowboys: B- 

Through the first nine weeks of the season, the Cowboys have had one of the worst defenses in the NFL: They've given up the second-most points per game (30.8), the second-most total yards per game (397.4) and the third-most passing yards per game (254.4). If the Cowboys are going to turn things around, they had to do something and Jones attempted to do that by swinging for the fences in a deal for Williams, who is one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL. 

The addition of the three-time Pro Bowler is a monstrous upgrade on the defensive line for the Cowboys. One reason the defense has been so bad is because the defensive line hasn't been able to generate any pressure, which is a big reason why opposing quarterbacks have a 112.6 passer rating against the Cowboys this year. Dallas has also struggled to stop the run because they don't have anyone in the middle who can plug things up, but now, with one trade, they added a superstar who should be able to help fix both of those problems. 

Williams will join a Cowboys defensive line that suddenly looks much stronger. He'll be lined up next to Kenny Clark on the interior with Donovan Ezeiruaku and Dante Fowler on the ends. The Cowboys also added Logan Wilson from the Bengals on Tuesday in a move that gives them some depth at linebacker. 

The 27-year-old Williams, who was taken with the third overall pick in 2019, has been a nearly unstoppable force during his time in the league. He's the exact kind of upgrade that the Cowboys needed on the defensive line and they now have him under contract through the 2027 season.  

This deal also makes the Micah Parsons trade much more tolerable. 

The Cowboys also gave up Smith along with Parsons and a 2026 second-rounder. 

The only question with the Williams deal -- and it's a big one -- is whether the Cowboys are doing too little, too late. They paid an incredibly steep price to land the Jets' star and if they don't make the playoffs this year, then they basically just threw two picks away. If the Cowboys don't turn things around, the 2026 second-round pick they sent to New York will be near the top of the round. 

The addition of Williams will certainly make the defense better, but if the unit still struggles, that will open up another huge set of problems, because the Cowboys will need to completely rebuild their defense in the offseason. 

Jones deserves credit for going all in, but this is a huge gamble and it will be interesting to see if it pays off. 

Jets: A-

It's been a banner day for the Jets, who have now made two blockbuster trades in an effort to build a foundation for the future. Besides trading Williams, the team also sent Sauce Gardner to the Colts in a shocking trade that netted them two first-round picks. 

The Jets basically went into fire sale mode on Tuesday and in those two trades alone, they've acquired four picks: 

  • 2026 first-round pick (from Colts)
  • 2026 second-round pick (from Cowboys)
  • 2027 first-round pick (from Cowboys or Packers)
  • 2027 first-round pick (from Colts)

The Jets now have to do something they haven't been able to do for almost 15 years, which is take those picks and use them to build a contending team. Getting rid of your two biggest defensive stars is a huge gamble, but it absolutely made sense for the Jets because of what they got in return. The Jets defense certainly got worse, but it will all be worth it if the picks pan out. 

The Jet also got the Cowboys to throw Smith in the deal. Although the 2023 first-round pick struggled in Dallas, it's certainly possible he could find some success with the Jets, but even if he never pans out, this trade was all about the picks for New York.  

With the season going nowhere, this is the kind of trade that will give fans hope going forward and hope is something that Jets fans haven't gotten to really experience over the past decade.