Around this team last season, the Dallas Cowboys were a hot mess. They started out 3-5, fans were calling for the coach’s jobs and it didn’t look like this team was going to be playing in January.  Yet, they made a trade for Amari Cooper during their bye-week and the team rebounded to a division title.  A year later, the Cowboys eerily find themselves in a similar situation and then go and trade for a player during the bye.  Will Michael Bennett be this year’s Cooper?

The Cowboys find themselves in a similar situation coming out of their bye-week.  Though the team stands at 4-3, they still have plenty of holes that prevent them from being a true contender.  One of the bigger weaknesses of the team lies with the interior of the defensive line.  The loss of Tyrone Crawford and the lack of depth have put the defense into a jam.  Stopping the run and getting pushed by opposing offensive linemen have been becoming a huge issue.  So the solution?  The Cowboys trade a sixth-round to the Patriots for Bennett.

Plan the parade route. Just kidding.

It is not a terrible move.  It is a cheap solution to the lack of depth across the interior and it adds another play maker from the middle.  Bennett fits this scheme much better than what he was playing with the Patriots and he has always been a productive player.  Even in limited playing time this season, Bennett still produced 2.5 sacks.  Last season with the Eagles he had nine sacks, 34 combined tackles and 2 forced fumbles.  Imagine on 3^rd and long, sending a line of Quinn, Bennett, Collins and Lawrence, that would be a nightmare for quarterbacks.  So overall this would be a slight upgrade for the defense and it could help solidify their interior play.

To say this move is going to change the needle and catapult this team back into contention is a bit too much.  Sorry, but Bennett is not going to have the same impact Cooper had on this team.  Cooper came here in the prime of his career and played a position that makes more of an impact for this team. Bennett is more of a veteran who has just enough in the tank to solidify a weakness.

This team still has a long ways to go and Bennett shouldn’t be looked as a savior for this team.  He is more of a helping hand on this brutal second-half of a season.

Related:

Dallas Cowboys: Mid-season Report Card

 

Cowboys Trade Wire: Reviewing possible additions for Dallas during bye week