If you want to know the esteem with which Tennessee Titans inside linebacker Cody Barton is held in NFL circles, take into account his old team, the Denver Broncos, have the NFL’s best defense and have wished, more than once, that they never let him walk out the door in free agency.
That’s why it might not be a bad idea for the Dallas Cowboys to make a trade for him to help their much maligned defense, which seems to be the only impediment to them getting back to the playoffs at this point.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks the Cowboys might be able to land Barton in exchange for a 2026 fourth round pick.
The Titans are 1-6 and seem ready to pull off a fire sale for the ages headed toward the November 4 NFL trade deadline after firing head coach Brian Callahan after a 1-5 start — remember this is the same team that had the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft.
Barton, 28 years old, is as effective and cost friendly as it gets in the first year of a 3-year, $21 million contract.
“Tennessee is in a tough spot … and if it truly is willing to move almost any player on its roster, Barton would be one of its most attractive trade chips,” Knox wrote on October 22. “The 28-year-old has 102 games and 50 starts on his resume, and he’s been a productive starter in his last few stops—he already has 42 tackles and two interceptions this season. More than a few teams could use help at linebacker, whether due to injuries or flat-out poor play. Barton would be a fine addition to any struggling defense with playoff aspirations.”
Barton, Overshown Could Be Difference on Defense
Getting Barton in a trade — maybe for a 2026 fifth round pick instead of a fourth rounder — combined with the return of DeMarvion Overshown could be a game changer for the Cowboys’ defense as they head toward the midway point of the season very much in playoff contention.
With one of the NFL’s best offenses led by MVP candidate Dak Prescott, the Cowboys just need to find a way to be functional on defense.
For the Cowboys, they might actually need more than one trade to fix things, with the only position probably not in need of a total revamp being cornerback, and even that’s debatable.
Barton Has Been High Volume Producer
Barton has been a fountain of production over the last 3 seasons.
He has 3 consecutive years of over 100 tackles on 3 different teams, including arguably his most well-rounded stat line in 2024 with the Broncos: 106 tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 pass deflections, 2.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks and 1 fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.
Barton was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round (No. 88 overall) of the 2019 NFL draft out of Utah and backed up future Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner for his first 3 seasons before becoming a full time starter in 2022, when he finished with 136 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2.0 sacks, 4 TFL and 6 pass deflections.
He played 2023 on a 1-year, $3.5 million contract with the Washington Commanders and finished with 121 tackles in 13 starts. Barton played in 2024 on a 1-year, $2.5 million contract with the Broncos.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Cowboys Trade Pitch Lands $21 Million LB From AFC South appeared first on Heavy Sports.