Trades are relatively rare in the NFL, and trades between division rivals happen even less frequently.
Teams are understandably reluctant to send valuable assets to teams they’ll directly compete with, even if they’re able to get something in return.
This wasn’t a concern for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, who have pulled off a trade just before the start of the 2024 regular season.
According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, the Cowboys are acquiring defensive lineman Jordan Phillips from the Giants.
Phillips was a second-round pick out of Oklahoma in 2015, after earning All-Conference honors in the Big 12 in his final college season.
He was drafted with the No. 52 overall pick by the Miami Dolphins. Phillips was waived by the Dolphins in 2018, and found his way on to the Bills later that season.
Phillips had the best season of his career in 2019 with the Bills, playing in 16 games and recording a team-high 9.5 sacks.
He would go on to spend the next two seasons in Arizona with the Cardinals after signing a three-year deal with them in free agency.
Phillips made his return to Buffalo in 2022, but was unable to return to the same form he showed in his first stint with the team.
The former Sooner signed with the Giants this April, and he’ll now join a Cowboys team looking to repeat as NFC East champions.
If Dallas wins the division title again in 2024, they would be the first team since the Philadelphia Eagles nearly 20 years ago to win consecutive NFC East championships.
It’s a make-or-break year for head coach Mike McCarthy, and we’ll see if the veteran Phillips can make a difference on a Dallas team with big goals heading into the new season.
