The Dallas Cowboys made some noise at the trade deadline – just maybe not in the way many expected. They bolstered their front seven by trading for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson, two high-impact players who can immediately contribute to Dan Quinn’s defense. But while those moves strengthen the core of the defense, one glaring issue remains unaddressed: the safety position.
It’s been a revolving door at safety for Dallas this season. Injuries have hit hard, forcing the Cowboys to get creative – and a little desperate.
At one point, cornerback Reddy Steward was shifted to safety just to patch things together mid-game. Even when the original starters were healthy, the secondary wasn’t exactly locking things down in coverage.
So when the trade deadline came and went without a move at safety, it raised some eyebrows.
Now, there may be a chance to remedy that.
On Friday, the Tennessee Titans released veteran safety Quandre Diggs – a name that immediately jumps out for a team like Dallas in need of experience and stability in the back end. Diggs has been around the league for 11 seasons, originally drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Texas.
He’s played in 154 games, started 124 of them, and made three straight Pro Bowls with the Seattle Seahawks from 2020 to 2022. That kind of résumé doesn’t just grow on trees in November.
The Cowboys’ current safety rotation includes Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker, both of whom bring solid experience but have battled health concerns and inconsistency. Adding Diggs wouldn’t make the group any younger – he’s 32, older than both current starters – but this isn’t about building for the next five years.
This is about right now. And right now, Dallas is in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt, trying to put together a second-half run that can carry them deep into January.
Diggs could be a stabilizing force. He’s not the elite playmaker he once was, but he’s still a steady veteran presence who understands the game at a high level.
This season, he earned a 64.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus – not elite, but respectable, ranking 30th among safeties. In run support, he’s graded even slightly higher at 64.7.
He’s not going to single-handedly transform the secondary, but he won’t be a liability either. And right now, that’s exactly what Dallas needs: someone who can step in, communicate, and keep the defense from breaking down on the back end.
Over the course of his career, Diggs has racked up 652 tackles, 57 passes defended, and 24 interceptions – numbers that reflect both durability and production. He’s the kind of player who can help a defense survive the grind of a long season, especially one with championship aspirations.
If Dallas is serious about making a push this year, bringing in Diggs makes a lot of sense. He’s not a long-term solution, and the Cowboys will still need to address the position in the offseason.
But for now? He could be the missing piece to help this defense hold the line while the offense tries to find its rhythm.
The window is open – it’s just a matter of whether the Cowboys are willing to jump through it.
