Giants Send Veteran DT Jordan Phillips to Cowboys in Highly Unusual Trade
Former Bills defensive lineman Jordan Phillips was transferred to the Dallas Cowboys in an unusual transaction after failing to make the 53-man roster.
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Jordan Phillips' chances of making the New York Giants' 53-man roster were dwindling as younger players in a crowded defensive line room led by Dexter Lawrence emerged this summer. So Jordan Phillips and the Giants formed an unusual relationship, and he was traded to the Cowboys.
According to NFL source Jordan Schultz, the Dallas Cowboys and their NFC East rivals, the New York Giants, have agreed on trade terms. The Giants executed a unique division deal, sending defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and their 2026 seventh-round draft selection to the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys will give the Giants a sixth-round pick in exchange for a seventh-round pick.
Phillips, a 10-year veteran who spent two stints with the Bills, including one in 2019 when current Giants general manager Joe Schoen was the team's assistant general manager, signed a one-year, $1.79 million contract with the Giants in the offseason after deciding to continue his NFL career, but was traded to the Cowboys before he could play.
Phillip has played in 120 NFL games during his career. None of them were with the Giants. After signing in April, Phillips missed the most of the optional offseason training. He has been stuck as a third-teamer throughout training camp and has an uphill battle to make the cut from 90 to 53 players.
Phillips was initially slated as New York's second-starting defensive lineman but slipped down the unofficial depth chart as Rakeem Nuñez-Roches gathered momentum. If Phillips had stayed with the Giants, he would have added value as an interior-depth piece on one of the NFL's most scary defensive lines.
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The veteran had a terrible year with the Buffalo Bills last season, usually playing over the B and C gaps rather than being a true nose tackle, as his 6-foot-4, 340-pound bulk would indicate. That, combined with a chronic shoulder ailment, might have contributed to his troubles. He had 2.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in 14 games last season.
The choice may reflect confidence in the young players in a position where the Giants lack seasoned players. However, the Cowboys' young interior defensive linemen, such as Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa would have greatly benefited if Phillips remained in camp, since he is both an experienced veteran presence and an effective depth piece on the field.
The trade of Phillips also makes room for undrafted rookie free agent Elijah Chatman, an undersized but powerfully built defensive lineman who is competing with D.J. Davidson and Timmy Horne for a roster spot on a unit that will also include veterans Dexter Lawrence II, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Ryder Anderson, and Jordan Riley.
Phillips will be 32 years old in September, with 62 starts under his belt. He has previously played with the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals and has 24 career sacks since his selection in 2015. The veteran defensive lineman has 181 career tackles and is approaching ten years in the league.
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