FRISCO, Texas – Let the wheeling and dealing continue.
It's not official yet, but it sounds like the Cowboys are going to complete an October trade for the second-straight year – albeit not as big as the one that landed them Amari Cooper.
This time around, it's only a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick they sent away – and in return they're getting veteran pass rusher Michael Bennett from New England.
To be clear, Bennett must complete a physical on Friday. But if he does that, the Cowboys will create a roster spot for him and the deal will be official.
It's a small price to pay, but Bennett brings some serious cache to a Cowboys pass rush that already features two Pro Bowlers. Now in his 11th season, Bennett brings three Pro Bowl appearances of his own to the roster – not to mention his 65.5 career sacks and 341 career tackles.
This is actually the second time Bennett has been traded in 2019. The Eagles sent him to New England in exchange for a seventh-round pick back in March. Prior to his stint in Philadelphia, Bennett was a key member of the vaunted Seattle defense that lifted the Seahawks to consecutive Super Bowl appearances.
If Bennett hits certain performance marks, the Cowboys' seventh-round pick upgrades to a sixth-round pick. It still feels like a relatively small price to pay for such an accomplished pass rusher. Bennett had five tackles and 2.5 sacks in six games for the Patriots – only one of those as a starter. He figures to be a solid rotational pass rusher behind the duo of Robert Quinn and DeMarcus Lawrence.
Dallas should be a somewhat familiar locale for Bennett. He played his college football at nearby Texas A&M, and his brother Martellus was a second-round draft pick and tight end for the Cowboys from 2008-11.
