The Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets are on two very different developmental pipelines at the moment, but they might be able to make for some very unlikely trade partners as they both try to fill some critical needs in the 2025 season and beyond.
The Cowboys’ secondary remains the worst in the league without much competition, while the Jets need wide receiver and pass rush help as critically as anyone in the league. These two teams may need to help each other out with some player-for-player swaps.
The Cowboys could be willing to part with inconsistent wide receiver Jalen Tolbert and much-maligned pass rusher Sam Williams in the name of getting some secondary help, and the Jets can offer up players like safety Tony Adams and cornerback Michael Carter II.
Many of these players are impending free agents, but what’s to stop Dallas from locking them in for 2026 and beyond if they impress?
This Cowboys-Jets trade swaps Jalen Tolbert and Michael Carter II
New York Jets
Receive
WR Jalen Tolbert
EDGE Sam Williams
Dallas Cowboys
Receive
S Tony Adams
CB Michael Carter II
Of the four players changing teams in this deal, only Carter is under contract beyond this season. Once regarded as one of the best slot cornerbacks in football, Carter has been benched in favor of Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and made available via trade.
The Jets switched to a more man-coverage-based scheme, which exposed Carter’s poor tackling. Even though Matt Eberflus is almost assuredly not going to return next season, the Cowboys may be able to get Carter back on track if they play a scheme that features a ton of zone.
Adams has found himself benched in favor of rookie Malachi Moore in recent weeks, but his performance under Robert Saleh suggests that may not be a great fit for what Aaron Glenn and Steve Wilks are asking him to do. Even with his tackling struggles, he’d be a welcome addition to this Dallas secondary.
Tolbert has been terrible with regard to getting separation at a consistent level, and Justin Fields isn’t the type of quarterback that is going to consistently throw him open, but the Jets are so thin at wide receiver that rolling the dice on Tolbert could give them a possible backup in 2026 if they like what they see.
With the worst pass rush depth in the league, the Jets would be happy to give Williams snaps over Micheal Clemons and see if he has any juice left in the tank. As putrid as he has been this year, going to a new scheme in New York might revitalize the former second-round pick.
