Tag: Jordan Phillips

Bills sign defensive tackles Quinton Jefferson, Jordan Phillips

Quinton Jefferson, Jordan Phillips

One key reason why it is so challenging for teams to agree to trades at the deadline is that they have concerns with new players learning their scheme quick enough.

When you bring back old friends, that isn’t much of a problem.

The Bills announced that they signed defensive tackles Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Phillips on Wednesday after standing pat at the trade deadline.

Jefferson was released by the Cleveland Browns and Phillips was released by the Dallas Cowboys. Both releases came this week. Buffalo jumped on the opportunity to get familiarity and depth in the middle of their defensive line.

Jefferson and Phillips have both specialized at pressuring the QB in their long careers.

Jefferson, now in his ninth season, was with the Bills in 2020 when the team went to their first AFC Championship since 1994. He started four games that campaign but was largely misused while trying to fill in for defensive tackle Star Lotulelei who opted out that offseason.

He found much more success over the past three seasons. From 2021 to 2023, he recorded 16 sacks and 42 QB hits across 34 starts with three different teams. Last year with the Jets, he had six sacks and posted a Pro Football Focus pass rush grade of 73.2 which was 32nd-best among all interior defenders.

Jefferson hasn’t performed to that level with the Browns this year, but he hopes to build on what he and the Bills started in 2020.

While Jefferson is back for his second stint in Buffalo, Phillips is looking forward to his third. He was a member of the Bills from 2018-2019 and also from 2022-2023. He is now in his 10th season.

Phillips has had success in the past with the Bills, racking up an impressive 9.5 sacks with the team in 2019. He hasn’t been as productive in recent years, and only appeared in two games while recording one tackle for the Cowboys this year. He started nine games for Buffalo last year, totaling 15 tackles, 2.5 sacks and five passes defensed.

Both Jefferson and Phillips fill a dire need for the Bills after defensive linemen DeWayne Carter and Dawuane Smoot both recently landed on injured reserve.

The two already have a good feel for the defensive scheme in place from their time with the team in the past, and they should be able to get up to speed quickly.

Defensive tackle Eli Ankou has emerged in recent weeks for the Bills after being elevated from the practice squad, but McDermott loves to rotate his defensive linemen and try to keep fresh bodies attacking the opposing QB.

With Ankou, Ed Oliver, Austin Johnson, DaQuan Jones, and Zion Logue, the Bills add a couple veteran interior pass rushers to the mix.

Cowboys release 10-year veteran DT, former 2nd-round pick

The Cowboys thought they were getting some veteran leadership and interior help, but it did not work out. | From @ArmyChiefW3

Dallas churned the bottom of their roster today with a few moves, including a trade, and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips became the latest casualty after they released the 10-year veteran. The move doesn’t actually open a roster spot as Phillips had been on IR with a disputed injury.

The Cowboys acquired Phillips from the Giants along with a 2026 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a sixth-rounder in 2026. Phillips played in the season’s first two games before landing on injured reserve.

The Cowboys placed him on IR because of a wrist injury, something Phillips disputed when he first talked to the media.

Phillips spent a stint on injured reserve last December as a member of the Buffalo Bills. He had signed with the Giants as a free agent but was traded to Dallas during training camp.

The Cowboys have a desperate need for defensive tackle help ranking near the bottom of all rush defense metrics and moving on from the veteran is yet another stain on this front office and their curious way of conducting business.

According to Phillips’s Instagram account, he appears headed back to Buffalo.

With one open roster spot, Dallas must make another move if they intend to bring back two defensive starters. Phillips was the first domino to fall and another name must be moved. The search continues in Dallas for capable interior lineman as another name has been scratched from the list.

Former Bills DT Jordan Phillips posts cryptic message about potential return

Former Bills DT Jordan Phillips posts cryptic message about potential return

The Buffalo Bills did not make a trade ahead of the NFL’s 2024 deadline. That doesn’t mean one is not brewing.

Could defensive tackle Jordan Phillips be back with the Bills (7-2)? There could be a chance of that happening.

Phillips, 32, was released by the Dallas Cowboys on trade deadline day.

Moments after reports of his release surfaced, Phillips posted something very curious to social media. Via his account on Instagram, Phillips sent out a picture of him during his time in Buffalo.

Phillips captioned the photo “run it back.”

The Bills, nor Phillips, have definitively said that Phillips is back in Buffalo. But his post has certainly caught some attention and could be a sign that he could be back soon.

Phillips has had an odd relationship with the Cowboys in 2024. He originally signed with the New York Giants this spring but was traded to Dallas. Then after playing a limited role, he was placed on injured reserve due to a wrist injury and he did not seem too happy about it.

The end of the 2023 season marked the end of the second of two tenures Phillips has had in Buffalo. The best season of his career came in 2019 during his first stint in western New York when he had 9.5 sacks.

Phillips’ post can be found below:

Cowboys open 21-day practice window for injured defensive lineman

From @ToddBrock24f7: Jordan Phillips played sparingly over 2 games and was then placed on IR under confusing circumstances. He has 3 weeks to be activated.

The Cowboys had hoped to use their bye week to get healthy, bringing several injured players back to action for the difficult 11-game gauntlet that will comprise the remainder of the 2024 season.

On Wednesday, one veteran took a big step closer to a return to the field, though how much difference it will make is a matter of opinion.

Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, who was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 18 under somewhat confusing circumstances, has had his 21-day practice window opened by the club. The Cowboys now have three weeks to evaluate the 32-year-old and decide if they want to move him to the active roster or end his season.

Phillips, originally a second-round draft pick by the Dolphins in 2015 and also a former Bill and Cardinal, was traded to Dallas in the middle of August after he spent the summer with the Giants.

But the 330-pounder played only sparingly once the Cowboys’ season got underway. He logged 15 defensive snaps in Week 1 versus Cleveland and played just 19 more the following week against New Orleans.

It was after that game that the Cowboys placed Phillips on IR. Team owner Jerry Jones said the lineman had been “favoring his wrist,” even though the Oklahoma product claimed at the time that he knew nothing about it and said his wrist was fine when asked.

At the time, his PFF grade stood at 29.6, among the lowest in the league for a defensive lineman.

Phillips had indeed undergone surgery the year prior to repair a dislocated wrist, but based on his own comments, many wondered if the Cowboys were really making the move in order to give Phillips a four-week window to perhaps improve his conditioning and better acclimate himself to Mike Zimmer’s defense.

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After six games, the Cowboys are giving up an average of 143.2 rushing yards per game, the sixth-worst mark of all defenses leaguewide. They have allowed 10 rushing touchdowns, a total surpassed only by Carolina.

The Dallas defense has also been without Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland, Eric Kendricks, and Caelen Carson at various points this season. Sam Williams and DaRon Bland have not played at all in the Cowboys’ six games.

The Cowboys’ next five opponents all currently rank in the top half of the NFL in rushing yards per contest. Three of them- San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Washington- are in the top seven, so reinforcements along the defensive line will be most welcome.

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Giants officially benefit from Jordan Phillips trade with Cowboys

The New York Giants have cashed in on their trade of Jordan Phillips to the Dallas Cowboys as the 2026 pick-swap becomes official.

On August 15, the New York Giants traded defensive lineman Jordan Phillips to the Dallas Cowboys for a swap of late-round 2026 draft picks.

The condition was if Phillips was active for the Cowboys for two games, the Giants would get the Cowboys’ 2026 sixth-rounder in exchange for their 2026 seventh-round pick.

That deal became official last week when Phillips was active for the Cowboys in their home loss to the New Orleans Saints.

It happened just in time for the Giants as Phillips injured his wrist in the game and was placed on injured reserve (IR) by Dallas on Wednesday.

Phillips consequently told reporters nothing was wrong with his wrist, but he would go on IR as planned. It will not affect the trade.

https://twitter.com/clarencehilljr/status/1836493932928319878

The Giants signed the 31-year-old Phillips in April to a free agent deal but they had a glut of healthy players along the defensive line and Phillips became expendable.

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Cowboys traded for DT who’s now hurt, here’s who they replaced him with

The Cowboys returned the favor in a small way, after losing Jordan Phillips, adding a DT from Dan Quinn’s Washington. | From @ArmyChiefW3

https://twitter.com/toddarcher/status/1836435572014957055

The Cowboys interior defensive line woes have taken another hit as the team is placing tackle Jordan Phillips on injured reserve with a wrist injury. Phillips will miss at least the next four weeks of the season. Dallas acquired the 11th-year defender from the division rival New York Giants for a 2026 sixth-round pick. In return, Dallas received Phillips along with a 2026 seventh-rounder.

The Cowboys next four opponents are the Ravens, Giants, Steelers, and Lions. Phillips could be eligible to return prior to the Cowboys October 27 game against San Francisco.

Phillips was supposed to shore up the Cowboys run game woes yet his 26.1 PFF grade against the New Orleans Saints was among the many things that went wrong for Dallas in the blowout home-opener loss.

The Cowboys worked quickly to fill his roster spot, bringing back a familiar face in defensive tackle Carlos Watkins.

https://twitter.com/VoiceOfTheStar/status/1836437362814919019

Watkins played for Dallas from 2021 through 2022. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Texans.

After Dallas suffered an exodus of free agents leaving for Washington to follow their new head coach Dan Quinn, Dallas struck back,  poaching Watkins off the Commanders practice squad.

Questions about the Cowboys run defense will continue to be asked until the team can consistently find a way to slow opponents down.

Geriatric Cowboys continue calling on veteran FA, hoping they’re fine wine

With two more veterans visiting the team, the Dallas Cowboys continue to add older players to the 2024 roster. | From @BenGrimaldi

The Dallas Cowboys like the players they’ve got, unless they don’t. When that happens, they turn to older players who’ve had past success. Stephen Jones’ philosophy over the past decade-plus is the team doesn’t spend money in free agency because they like the core players they have. Improvement will come from drafting and the Cowboys’ ability to develop their own players.

That was what the Joneses tried to sell the fan base on this offseason while sitting on their hands for months on end. Yet now, the organization seems to be in a bit of a panic. They are lacking depth – which could’ve been avoided by being proactive in free agency – and now Dallas is the place to be for any veteran player looking to stay employed in the NFL.

After signing a few older players recently, the trend has continued. The latest invites are more experienced options in running back Dalvin Cook and pass rusher Tyus Bowser.

Cook played for the Minnesota Vikings for six years, which included four straight 1,000-yard seasons and four Pro Bowl appearances. He’s just two years removed from his last 1,000-yard campaign, but Cook fizzled out last year with the New York Jets before they released him and he wound up signing with the Baltimore Ravens for the playoffs. Between the two teams, Cook rushed for just 214 yards and a career worst 3.2 yards a carry.

At 29-years old, the best days are behind Cook. Yet the Cowboys are interested in him to pair with another older, plodding RB in Ezekiel Elliott, who is ironically the same age.

Bowser is another 29-year-old the team is bringing in for a workout. After having a few good years with the Ravens and topping out at seven sacks in 2021, Bowser tore his Achilles in the same season, which limited his output in 2022. The defensive end was hurt last summer and never played in the 2023 season.

However, the Cowboys need pass rushing help and don’t seem swayed by the injury history from Bowser, who has played a full season just three times. Bowser could replace another older pass rusher the Cowboys had signed recently, Carl Lawson, who happens to be the magical age of 29 but was released on Tuesday. Another veteran the Cowboys signed this summer is defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, who wears number 92, which is the inverse of his age, 29-years old.

The Cook and Bowser workouts come after the Cowboys traded for defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, who is currently 31, but will turn 32-years old in September, and signed another DT, Linval Joseph, off the streets at 35-years old. There’s not a lot of youth there for the recently added group.

Then again, adding veterans has been the tenor for the entirety of the slow offseason. The only two players who were considered quality acquisitions for the Cowboys were both around the age of 30. Elliott is 29, which is ancient for a RB, and linebacker Eric Kendricks, is 32-years old.

Now, late in the offseason, the Cowboys seem to continue to be heading down the same path. What makes adding these veterans this late so frustrating is the team could’ve just signed a much better, and younger, player or two when free agency began, instead of trying to find answers now. Dallas didn’t need to sign the best guys on the open market in March, but being a little aggressive in finding younger talent then could’ve avoided the search now, when their options are limited.

Perhaps we now know why Jerry Jones said the team would be “all-in,” because this is the last time many of these players will play in the league.

Just call them the geriatric Cowboys.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi

Cowboys trade for intriguing 3-tech stiffens run defense from pass-rush position

Jordan Phillips will improve the Cowboys run defense from a pass rushing position on the interior. | From @ReidDHanson

When the Cowboys acquired Jordan Phillips from the Giants via trade last week, common sentiment was the 6-foot-6, 341-pound defensive tackle would be in the 1-tech rotation with Mazi Smith. Size and stoutness are the primary trait of a good NFL nosetackle and since Phillips qualifies as one of the biggest and strongest humans on the planet, the assumption was understandable.

Recent statements have indicated that is in fact not the destination for the nine-year veteran. Despite the gargantuan size, the vast majority of Phillips’ career snaps have come at the 3-tech position. 3-tech is widely considered the primary pass-rushing position from the defensive interior. It’s where the Cowboys Osa Odighizuwa makes his money in Dallas, and where Phillips is slated to land on the 2024 Cowboys.

As one of the top 3-techs in the NFL, Odighizuwa is the clearcut starter inside for Dallas. His issue hasn’t been his ability on the field but rather his ability to hold up throughout an entire season. It was important for the Cowboys to find someone to take some of the weight off his shoulders. They tried with Chauncey Golston in the past and now they’re trying with the newly added Phillips.

At 280-pounds, Odighizuwa is a somewhat undersized DT in the NFL. The extra 60+ pounds Phillips offers is going to be a huge boost for Dallas run defense. Even though 3-techs are tasked with applying the majority of interior pressure, they have clear run-stopping responsibilities as well.

Mike Zimmer has a history of employing large DTs side by side on his defenses so a combination of Smith and Phillips in the same package isn’t surprising. Zimmer’s ability to dial up blitzes in the A-gaps give him that luxury. It’s an issue discussed in the past and a reason Micah Parsons has been frequently seen playing off-ball inside the box.

“I don’t care about stats, people look at stats and think you have a great game,” Phillips said. “For me as long as my linebackers are making All-Pro, Pro Bowler, I did my job for the year. They didn’t do that by themselves, I kept people off them and, on the way, I’m getting some sacks and tackles.”

The Cowboys have an explosive young LB corps heading into 2024. If they can be kept clean and allowed to operate, the sky is the limit for this bunch. Having the girth inside at tackle to occupy blockers has to be music to their ears.

Odighizuwa hasn’t been poor at that, he’s just somewhat limited with his size. Saving him for primarily passing downs won’t just put him in the best position to succeed, but it will also keep him fresh throughout the course of a season. It doesn’t mean Phillips will only play rushing downs and Odighizuwa will only play passing downs, just that Zimmer can lean to that direction when dividing snaps.

The addition of Phillips deepens the 3-tech rotation for Dallas. It gives the Cowboys another pass-rusher and pocket-collapser on the interior and also beefs up the run defense from a position typically associated with the pass rush.

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Giants pull off rare deal with Cowboys, trade Jordan Phillips to rivals

The New York Giants pulled off a rare trade with their NFC East rivals on Wednesday night, sending DT Jordan Phillips to the Dallas Cowboys.

Just a few short weeks before the 2024 NFL regular season is underway, the New York Giants have made a trade.

On Wednesday night, the news broke that the Giants were trading veteran defensive tackle Jordan Phillips to the Dallas Cowboys in a rare deal among division rivals.

The Giants signed Phillips to a one-year deal this offseason but he seemed increasingly unlikely to make the 53-man roster, especially with the unexpected emergence of undrafted rookie free agent Elijah Chatman.

In addition to trading Phillips to Dallas, the two teams are swapping picks in the 2025 NFL draft. The Giants will receive a sixth-round pick and the Cowboys will receive a seventh-round pick.

The trade also cleared minimal cap space for New York while enhancing their draft stock in 2025. A savvy move by general manager Joe Schoen.

Before signing with the Giants, Phillips’ career started with the Miami Dolphins and he also previously played for the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals.

Phillips was struggling to solidify his spot on the roster and there was serious doubt over whether he would have made the roster. Instead, assuming he makes the Cowboys roster, he’ll have a chance to go up against the Giants twice this season.

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Former Sooners defensive tackle traded to the Dallas Cowboys

Former Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle and long-time NFL vet Jordan Phillips is heading to the Dallas Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys needed defensive tackle help and they obtained it in the form of former Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle [autotag]Jordan Phillips[/autotag].

The former Sooner, who signed with the New York Giants this offseason, was traded to the Cowboys, a move first reported by NFL insiders Jordan Schultz and Josina Anderson.

A former four-star prospect in the 2011 recruiting class, Phillips played three seasons for the Sooners from 2012 to 2014. He totaled 58 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 3 1/2 sacks before heading to the NFL. He was a second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in the 2015 NFL draft.

Phillips has spent nine seasons in the [autotag]NFL[/autotag], spending time with the Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals before joining the Giants this offseason. In his nine seasons, Phillips played in 120 games, accumulating 181 total tackles, 24 sacks, 36 tackles for loss and 51 quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Reference.

With Dallas having limited options at defensive tackle, Phillips will have a chance to start at nose tackle for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmers.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.