The Dallas Cowboys made a move to shore up their secondary Thursday, acquiring cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. Porter, 26, was a second-round selection out of Penn State in 2023, but he has not played a snap this season due to a back issue and a contract dispute as he entered the final year of his rookie deal.

The timing makes sense for Dallas. Safety Jalen Thompson was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, adding to an already thin group on the back end. Through three games, the Cowboys rank second-to-last in the NFL in rushing defense and have yet to record a single interception. The front office clearly decided standing pat was not an option, and it is now the second consecutive year Dallas and Pittsburgh have completed a trade, following last season’s George Pickens deal.

Whether Porter pays off depends on two things nobody can control yet: his health and his mindset. If his back checks out and a fresh start motivates him, he fills a real need on a defense that has struggled badly. If not, Dallas gave up meaningful draft capital for a player who never saw the field. In a town like ours, where Friday night football at Lumpkins Stadium is practically a civic institution, that kind of high-stakes gamble is easy to understand. Do you think the Cowboys made the right call, or should they have kept those picks? Let us know in the comments.