Dallas Cowboys: 5 Players to target at 2019 NFL Trade Deadline

Last season, the Dallas Cowboys had one of the better defenses in the entire NFL. One of the biggest reasons for that was the addition of Kris Richard, the former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator who took over as the Cowboys defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator — which entailed him being the play-caller on defense despite Rod Marinelli boasting the title of defensive coordinator.

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One of the bigger moves he made was to shift Byron Jones from free safety to cornerback. Jones had the kind of length and physicality to his game that Richard demands from his corners. The result was a first-ever trip to the Pro Bowl for Jones.

The problem is, Jones’ play hasn’t translated to this season. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the cornerback is ranked just 35th in the league and has been graded at 67.8. Opposite him is Chidobe Awuzie, who has been even worse, coming into Week 7 with just a 63.9 ranking.

Add that up and the Cowboys need some help bad in the secondary. That leads to the idea of them going after Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals. Peterson is just finishing a six-game suspension for violating the PED policy — cue the cliché Cowboys criminal jokes — and could be available.

Arizona is a team that’s rebuilding and they’ve gone 2-3-1 without Peterson. They also like what they’ve seen from the 33rd overall pick, Byron Murphy, who is the corner of the future for them.

Peterson would give Dallas a massive upgrade at the position, which is something they desperately need. That makes this a move worth kicking the tires on.