The Dallas Cowboys have done a nice job bolstering roster this offseason, but they still have two glaring holes that could wreck Brian Schottenheimer’s first season as head coach.
As much as the George Pickens trade improved the offense, the state of the cornerback and nose tackle rooms are keeping fans up at night.
On top of not re-signing Jourdan Lewis, Trevon Diggs is expected to miss the start of the season and DT Mazi Smith has not lived up to his first-round billing. The Cowboys need to add to both positions before Week 1.
Well, they could be handed a gift by none other than the Broncos, who could move on from cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian this offseason to save cap room.
Cowboys should sign Ja’Quan McMillian if he’s released by the Broncos
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently circled the best player who could still be cut from all 32 teams. He landed on McMillian for the Broncos, citing their selection of Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron in the first round potentially pushing McMillian out of the starting lineup.
McMillian isn’t a world-beater, but Dallas just needs capable bodies and he’s been a serviceable starter for Denver.
A former undrafted free agent, McMillian has posted at least a 61.8 coverage grade in each of the last three seasons, per PFF. He’s allowed a 67.0% completion rate when targeted for his career and has been a plus run defender, which is imperative for slot cornerbacks.
McMillian’s 31 defensive stops last season tied for the third-most among cornerbacks. He did miss 12 tackles, but that ranked in the middle of the pack for the position. Even Jourdan Lewis, who was arguably Dallas’ best defender in 2024, was credited with 11 missed tackles by PFF.
Assuming a trade for Jalen Ramsey is out of the equation, the Cowboys would be smart to monitor McMillian’s status with the Broncos.
While Denver wouldn’t save a ton of money by cutting the 24-year-old, he might be the odd man out in what is suddenly a very crowded secondary in the Mile High City. He could be the answer to Dallas’ nickel conundrum that currently has a rotation of DaRon Bland, Israel Mukuamu and Juanyeh Thomas at OTAs.
