OXNARD, Calif. -- While the Dallas Cowboys have expressed pleasure with the advancement of 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith early in training camp, the club had concerns about its defensive tackle depth, leading to a trade with NFC East rival New York Giants.
According to a source, the Cowboys acquired veteran Jordan Phillips and a 2026 seventh-round pick for a 2026 sixth-round selection.
Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said on Tuesday, "we're still looking for some [nose tackles]," after Chauncey Golston and Viliami Fehoko were moved back to defensive end. The Cowboys had their eye on a couple of veterans before camp started, including trade talks with another team in addition to the Giants, according to multiple sources, but that deal did not come together.
Phillips, 31, signed with the Giants as a free agent this offseason after spending the last two years with the Buffalo Bills. He was a second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2015 and has also played for the Arizona Cardinals.
At 6-6, 341 pounds, Phillips would be the biggest defensive tackle on the roster. Veteran Carl Davis had been slowed by injury recently and the team recently signed Albert Huggins, who was kicked out of Wednesday's practice after an altercation in pass-rush drills with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Cowboys selected Justin Rogers in the seventh round of the draft and also have undrafted free agent Denzel Daxon at defensive tackle.
Smith struggled with playing time and production as a rookie, but he drew praise for his work in the preseason opener against the Rams last week.
"Mazi initially he knocked the center back several times, made some tackles, came off the blocks," Zimmer said. "There was a lot of things that he did that was good."