Jerry Jones has a habit of circling back to the same kind of player, and former first-round offensive tackles have long been one of his favorite bets. So when the Chicago Bears moved on from Jedrick Wills Jr., the situation looked like the kind of lure the Cowboys owner tends to chase.
That’s exactly why this one feels dangerous.
Dallas already has a solid starting tackle pairing, and the team did add Broderick Jones as a backup option. Even so, the depth behind the starters still doesn’t look bulletproof.
That kind of setup can make a player like Wills tempting, especially for a front office that has shown interest in premium draft capital before. But the better move here is to resist the pull.
Wills entered the league as the No. 10 overall pick in 2020, selected by the Cleveland Browns. He racked up 57 starts and held the Browns’ left tackle job from the day he arrived.
Then the injuries hit. His 2024 season ended with an MCL injury in his right knee, and after a corrective procedure, he missed the entire 2025 season because of the same issue.
Cleveland let him go this offseason, and the Bears brought him in with a need at left tackle. He never won that job, though, and he slipped far enough down the depth chart to miss the roster entirely.
He should land somewhere soon. Quality tackles don’t sit around long once Week 1 gets close. Still, Dallas doesn’t need to be the team that takes the swing.
The biggest concern is the time away. It has been about 22 months since Wills last played in a regular-season game, and even if he’s physically cleared, there’s no guarantee he looks like the same player.
His preseason work in Chicago didn’t help the case much, either. In limited action, he gave up two pressures and a sack, and he didn’t look like the same force in the run game that he once was.
The name still carries weight. The draft pedigree still flashes.
But for the Cowboys, this is one of those chances that looks cleaner on paper than it does in practice. Broderick Jones can handle the swing tackle role, and Dallas would be wise to leave this particular trap alone.
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