The Dallas Cowboys are back at it again! Wednesday night, they made a big move, acquiring cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from their favorite trade partner, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Porter and the Steelers have been at odds because the cornerback wants a new contract, and the Steelers aren’t in the negotiating mood. This standoff has caused Porter to miss the first three games of the season, and now he’ll head to Dallas.
The Cowboys desperately need help on defense. The secondary is a hot mess, and they
are banged up with recent injuries to Cobie Durant and Shavon Revel Jr., so adding a talented outside corner like Porter brings a huge sigh of relief.
To acquire Porter, the Cowboys will send a 2028 second-round pick as well as a 2027 sixth-round pick. Note the year on that second-rounder. While it appears rather cheap, it’s worth noting that Porter is in the final year of his rookie deal, meaning that unless the Cowboys work some type of extension, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. This creates a lot of uncertainty when it comes to his future with the Cowboys. Will he be a one-year rental? Will the Joneses try to extend? Lots of questions remain.
But for now, he’s a member of the Cowboys and brings a lot to this cornerback group. Porter is an excellent boundary corner. He has top-notch press skills and thrives when he can get into the chest of the receiver. He has a knack for disrupting the timing of the receiver, making it tough for quarterbacks to sneak completions his way. He also has a reputation for showing up big in clutch moments, regularly shutting things down on third down and preventing big plays. The Cowboys are in desperate need of both of those things.
He has some weaknesses. He’s not the best tackler and can be wildly inconsistent when asked to come downhill in run support. His zone coverage ability is also not great, as he occasionally gets lost when he can’t lock in on his assignment. He can also get a little too handsy at times. And while he’s a regular pass contester, he doesn’t have the interception production you’d hope for.
This is a strong addition for Christian Parker’s defense. The strategic scheme relies heavily on having cornerbacks who can survive on an island without constantly needing safety help over the top. Parker loves to bring pressure from creative angles, but that only works if you have guys in the secondary who can hold their ground in isolated coverage, and the Cowboys’ secondary has been struggling to hold that ground.
Only time will tell if this gamble pays off or if the lack of a contract extension blows up in spectacular fashion. What we can say is that the Cowboys’ front office is doing everything in its power to put a good team on the field, and isn’t going to sit around and watch the defense struggle. The arrival of Porter should improve the secondary immediately and help give this team a fighting chance.
