The Dallas Cowboys were active at the NFL trade deadline and did what many people expected the team to do: add talent on the defensive side of the ball.

Dallas started the day by adding tackling machine Logan Wilson, who has four straight seasons with 100+ tackles, in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals, before finishing their deadline run with a splashy move.

The Cowboys landed All-Pro defensive lineman Quinnen Williams in a deal with the New York Jets to give defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus the type of disruptive interior lineman that he thrives with.

While the moves do improve the defense immediately and set the team up for some future success, not everyone is getting lost in the sauce. Mike Jones of The Athletic shared his biggest winners and losers of the trade deadline, and the Cowboys were named a big loser despite being aggressive and adding impact players.

Jerry Jones delivered on his promise to get active and improve the roster if the opportunity presented itself, but was it playing smart or getting desperate?

That’s where Jones believes the Cowboys went wrong.

While The Athletic acknowledges the Cowboys added talented players at the deadline, there are some questions about the motivation to swing the trades considering the compensation.

For Williams, Dallas gave up a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick, along with defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a first-round bust who was in need of a fresh start. For Jones, the move reeked of desperation.

“Dealing Micah Parsons still feels like taking a big, fat L. Perhaps the draft haul received from the Green Bay Packers will wind up paying off in the long run,” her writes. “Adding defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the Jets on Tuesday and perennial 100-tackle-per-season linebacker Logan Wilson from the Bengals should help the porous defense some, but they’re unlikely to save Dallas’ season. And the first- and second-round picks given up for Williams feel rather desperate. Yes, Jerry Jones snagged a couple of headlines once again, but …”

Sure, the moves are unlikely to save the Cowboys’ season, but they do make the team better moving forward. Williams is under contract at a much cheaper price than Parsons. Wilson is also under contract through the 2027 season, and cost only a seventh-round pick. Dallas now has two standout players who strengthen their positions and allow the team to continue building the defense around them without the financial strain.

We’ll be able to truly evaluate the deadline moves when we look back in a few years.