We saw how the Dallas Cowboys’ urgency to pursue star-caliber players can revitalize the team’s defense. In the Week 11 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, owner and general manager Jerry Jones’ decisions to trade for Pro Bowl tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson prompted the unit’s best showing of the season en route to a commanding win.

Now two questions remain: Can that level of play be maintained and would such immediate success cause Jones to make a shift in how he approaches roster management at now at 4-5-1?

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There is still a long ways to go in 2025 and the playoffs are still not completely out of the picture for “America’s Team” (especially if it can string together some wins over Philadelphia, Kansas City and Detroit).

Looking ahead – to this season and beyond – there are some available players that can make a similar impact if signed.

Isaiah Simmons – the former do-it-all first-round pick from five years ago – could be one of those pieces.

Simmons has experience at linebacker and safety after shining at Clemson and becoming a top-10 pick in 2020. He signed his rookie contract with the Arizona Cardinals, but after short stints with the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers, he has spent this entire season on the couch as a free agent.

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“Simmons would be a logical gamble for a team that regularly uses multiple safeties in a rotation or for one that could use an athletic run defender at the second level,” writes Bleacher Report about the potential bargain pick up. That endorsement fits a criteria that would benefit these Cowboys, who were named a potential landing spot for Simmons.

Dallas has seen reinforcements come in at linebacker with the electric DeMarvion Overshown returning from injury to join a deep rotation of Shemar James, Kenneth Murray and Wilson.

The safety position, however, has been a struggle much of the season. The Cowboys did return Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson to the starting lineup after their respective injury absences, but the depth chart is largely inexperienced behind them and there’s an argument that the group – which is one of the worst pass defenses in football – still needs addressing before Dallas faces a slew of elite pocket-passing quarterbacks on the schedule.

Simmons’ most productive season came in 2022 where he registered 99 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions in 13 starts as a sort of Swiss-Army knife for the Cardinals.

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His athletic profile speaks for itself. Entering the draft process, Simmons was nicknamed a “unicorn” for his extraordinary combination of size and athleticism. He posted a blazing 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine to go with a 39-inch vertical jump … all at 6-foot-4, 238 pounds.

“A smart defensive coordinator will simply look at the matchup each week and let Simmons erase the opposing offense’s biggest threat,” B/R once said after his Combine performance. “He’s a rare game-changer at the linebacker position and should be allowed to play multiple roles and alignments within a single game.”

Sure, he may not be in the same shape as he was last season and prior, but why not shoot a low-risk, high-reward dart on a versatile defender who could fill a production gap?

We are entering a “make it or break it” push for the Cowboys if they want to give themselves a chance at making the playoffs.

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Jones has already shown he can “buy in” – figuratively and literally – by investing in defensive improvements.

If doesn’t want to be done, there are cheap options like Simmons that are there for the taking.