The Pittsburgh Steelers just told the Cowboys exactly what they think of Broderick Jones. Dallas should listen.
According to sources who spoke to ESPN, the Steelers are sending the 2023 first-round tackle and a fourth-round pick to Dallas in exchange for a future third- and sixth-round selection. The deal, reported by NFL.com's Jeremy Fowler, gives Pittsburgh a modest upgrade from the fourth round to the third, plus an extra late pick.
That is not a trade market's vote of confidence. Teams do not give away first-round tackles three years in for a third-rounder unless they have seen enough to move on. Steelernation reported Jones's role had become "increasingly uncertain" in Pittsburgh. He went from franchise cornerstone to spare part in two seasons.
The popular take will be that the Cowboys bought low on a talented kid with starting experience. That take is wrong the same way every lottery ticket is wrong: it ignores the odds. The Steelers spent a first-round pick to draft him in 2023. They chose to reset that investment for a third and a sixth rather than see what a new offensive scheme would do for him. That decision is data.
Dallas desperately needs offensive line help. Jones might win a starting job. He might also prove why Pittsburgh let him go so cheaply. The Cowboys are betting a change of scenery fixes what an NFL coaching staff couldn't.
My verdict: Dallas didn't get a steal. They got a reclamation project with a first-round pedigree and a third-round trade value. When a former team accepts that little, you shouldn't expect much more. The Steelers told you who Broderick Jones is. Believe them.