Here’s why the Cowboys traded with division rival Giants for NT help

The Cowboys still need more help at the nose tackle position and stayed within the division to acquire it. | From @KDDrummondNFL

There’s a hunt in Dallas for more nose tackle help and it’s taken them to interesting corners of the NFL world; their own backyard. Well not literally, but the Cowboys are set to acquire DT Jordan Phillips in a trade with division rival New York, after the Giants signed him earlier in the offseason.

Josina Anderson was the first to report.

Phillips, entering his ninth year in the league, spent his last two seasons with the Buffalo Bills after being a 2015 second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins and spending time there, in Buffalo for a prior stint, and with Arizona.

The 6-foot-6, 341 pounder apparently didn’t impress Brian Daboll and his staff in their first preseason action as he’s making his way to Dallas to see if he can stick in Texas.

The Cowboys will absorb Phillips’ one-year contract worth $1.26 million in base and roster bonus, none of it guaranteed. The compensation going back to New York has not yet been confirmed.

Per ESPN’s Todd Archer, Phillips and a 2026 seventh rounder are coming to Dallas in exchange for the Cowboys’ 2026 sixth rounder. Clearly he was going to be released by the Giants and they probably called Dallas to see if they were willing to swap picks in order to jump to the front of the line for his services.

Phillips once had 9.5 sacks in a season, but that was back in 2019. The hope is that he can be a rotational nose tackle as it seemed clear in Sunday’s preseason opener that while Mazi Smith has shown improvement, he fades the more snaps he sees and at least for now needs to be in a rotation. Yes, even for limited run snaps.