According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, the Dallas Cowboys as well as the Philadelphia Eagles showed some interest in trading for Cleveland Browns superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett. In the end Garrett does join the NFC, but with the Los Angeles Rams via a blockbuster deal.
This is no doubt huge
for the L.A. Rams, making them serious Super Bowl contenders, but not so much for the Cowboys or Eagles. Both organizations have attempted to trade for elite pass rushers at some point this offseason only to miss out.
As far as the Cowboys are concerned, even if their interest was minimal in trading for Myles Garrett, the fact they are kicking the tires on another potential trade for an elite pass rusher is interesting, possibly leaving the door open for Maxx Crosby.
Dallas attempted to land Crosby earlier in the offseason via trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, but ultimately missed out after he was traded to the Baltimore Ravens. Even after that trade fell through, landing him back with the Raiders, the Cowboys haven’t shown much interest in circling back.
Will they now circle back to Maxx Crosby after showing some interest in training for Myles Garrett? It’s entirely possible, but there’s another underrated pass rusher they could target via trade who is coming off an elite 2025 season, Pittsburgh Steelers LB Nick Herbig.
Herbig is just 24 years old and is entering the final year of his rookie contract. As of yet, the Steelers haven’t shown any interest in signing him to a contract extension, likely due to the fact they already have big money invested in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
With big money already invested at the position, many believe Herbig could be acquired via trade if the price is right. If this is indeed true, the Cowboys should absolutely make inquiries about further upgrading their pass rush.
According to PFF, Herbig ranked as a top 10 NFL edge defender in efficiency in 2025. Despite playing just 610 defensive snaps, roughly 42nd among edge defenders, he finished the year with eight sacks and 47 total pressures. He had a 86.7 overall PFF defensive grade (seventh), 87.1 PFF pass-rush grade (eighth), and 71.4 PFF run-defense grade (23rd).
While it’s true Herbig played like an elite edge defender a season ago, the potential draft capital to acquire him via trade won’t be near what the Rams paid for Myles Garrett, or what it would take to land Maxx Crosby.
This would be a win-win for the Cowboys. Not only would they land and up-and-coming pass rusher coming off an elite season, but one they could lock up long-term and not have to break the bank doing so. His market value currently sits at four years, $66,244,480 ($16.6 million annually) according to spotrac.com.
If the Cowboys are indeed interested in upgrading their pass rush, they would be wise to strike while the iron is hot. Nick Herbig is a perfect fit for Christian Parker’s scheme and his youth/upside could make him a game-wrecker for years to come. Add him to the mix of Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, and even Jaishawn Barham, would immediately upgrade Dallas’ defense with the potential to become something special.
How much would you give up in a trade for Herbig?
