This Falcons-Cowboys trade would give Atlanta the immediate impact pass rusher it needs

How close the final score was says nothing about what we saw on the field of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday afternoon. The Atlanta Falcons seemed like a serious competitor in the NFC, while the Dallas Cowboys looked like a team in total disarray. Injuries have completely ravaged this team, but questionable coaching and increasingly poor ownership have rendered the American team useless.

While Atlanta was finally able to generate some pass rush on Sunday, the Falcons should at least try to add another Matthew Judon-type player to complement former New England star and homegrown defensive tackle extraordinaire Grady Jarrett. One such player does indeed exist on the Cowboys, and that would be perennial Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence, who is still on injured reserve.

Figuring out the right compensation for Lawrence is quite difficult, but here’s what it might take.

Trading for an injured player is probably not what Atlanta wants to do, especially as a former Georgia star and Marietta native Azeez Ojulari is healthier, cheaper and more readily available than Lawrence. Trying to figure out what fair compensation is for a star player who gets injured in the final year of his contract is quite difficult. His base salary is $10 million, so let’s cut that in half and discount this a bit.

A fourth- or fifth-round pick would likely be in the $2.5-$3.75 million range to make it a deal.

Atlanta has mainly been linked to Ojulari, but it wouldn’t be shocking if the Dirty Birds pursue a high-end edge rusher playing for a struggling team like Lawrence, Emmanuel Ogbah or Za’Darius Smith. Admittedly, I’m not the sharpest mind when it comes to Xs and Os or schedule fit. I just know that Atlanta is going to lose a game in the postseason because it simply can’t get after the passer.

The Falcons are on the cusp of running away with the division. With the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints both at 2-7 this year, Atlanta already owns the tiebreaker against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers via their regular season sweep. New Orleans just fired its head coach. Tampa Bay still has to play Kansas City 4-4 on Monday evening. Carolina is still one of the worst teams in the N.F.L.

Should Atlanta improve to 7-3 with a win over New Orleans on Sunday, the Falcons would be 5-0 in the NFC South and 7-1 against conference foes. At this point, not adding a pass rusher would be a disservice to a borderline playoff lock. As for the Cowboys, Dallas needs to sell its expensive assets, get a new head coach and try to make the most of the 2025 NFL season.

Trading for Lawrence is a bit risky, but the upside for Atlanta could result in a big parade.