With defense remaining a major concern for the 2026 season, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have been advised to push for a veteran defensive tackle who is on the open market after spending last season with the Arizona Cardinals. America’s Team put forth one of the worst defenses last season, prompting a major overhaul in personnel and strategy. Hence, the Cowboys Wire has urged Jones and Co. to sign this star defensive tackle, who fits the franchise’s win-now approach.

“When this article was planned, it was intended to be a Top 5 targets, but four of the five possibilities were all scooped up with new deals on Friday,” The Cowboys Wire’s K.D. Drummond wrote. “Da’Shawn Hand, Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, and Sebastian Joseph-Day all agreed to join other clubs. Only 39-year-old Calais Campbell remains. Hopefully, fortunately, Campbell is the best of the bunch should Dallas pull the trigger.”

Drummond named Calais Campbell as a target for the Cowboys after the Dallas front office traded defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers for a third-round pick (92nd overall) in the 2026 NFL Draft. Odighizuwa was a reliable defensive piece for America’s Team and appeared in 84 games (76 starts) for the Cowboys with 216 tackles and 17 sacks.

Subsequently, ahead of the 2025 season, he was named one of the defensive captains after signing a massive four-year, $80 million contract in March 2025. However, after he finished 2025 with 44 total tackles (16 solo), 3.5 sacks, and 23 quarterback hits, the franchise parted ways with the promising defensive tackle.

This move was part of a larger defensive clean-up, which started with the firing of former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who led a unit that gave up 30.1 points per game, the most in the NFL, and finished 30th in yards allowed per game at 377 yards. Hence, America’s Team opted to bring in Christian Parker as the DC, who immediately confirmed a significant systemic shift during his introductory press conference.

“The first thing is we’re going to be multiple,” Parker said of his defensive scheme. “I think that whenever you form a defensive structure, it’s about the players that you have. So our core principles: we’ll be a 3-4 by nature, but 4-3 spacing will be appropriate, 4-2-5 in nickel, different front structures, coverages behind it. But I will say being multiple is probably the most important thing about it.”

With this shift, the Cowboys have been urged to bring Calais Campbell, who has excelled in this formation throughout his illustrious NFL career. Campbell’s best individual season came in a similar system with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020, where he was named PFF’s Run Defender of the Year while recording a 90.8 run-defense grade.

While many will argue that this performance came six years ago, Calais Campbell has always shut his critics down by performing at a consistent clip throughout his career.

“Retirement seems to be afraid of Campbell, who has yet to show signs of slowing down through 18 NFL seasons,” PFF highlighted while naming the 39-year-old the 31st best free agent on the open market. “He has logged 30-plus quarterback pressures in all but two of those years, and his 72.2 PFF overall grade in 2025 made it 15 straight years of topping 70.0.”

With these incredible numbers and his fit with the Cowboys’ defensive system, Jerry Jones and Co. could look to bring in Calais Campbell as a win-now move, as the franchise has missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year and four times in the last seven years. However, if Campbell joins America’s Team this offseason, he won’t be the first Cardinal to join the Cowboys, with the Dallas front office completing an important deal to sign another key defender for the 2026 season.

Cowboys sign star Cardinals safety to bolster a dismal secondary

With free agency continuing in full flow, America’s Team completed a crucial deal to sign former Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson to a three-year, $33 million deal with a maximum value of $36 million. Thompson will drastically improve the Dallas secondary, as the Cowboys’ passing defense allowed 251.5 yards per game and 35 passing touchdowns.

Last season, he played 15 games and had one interception with 95 tackles while continuing to be a key defensive voice in the Cardinals’ secondary after starting for the franchise over the last five seasons. Now playing with the Cowboys, Thompson expressed excitement about this move before highlighting that he is willing to take up any role the team needs from him.

“A physical safety, a safety that can do pretty much everything. I don’t consider myself just a safety, a DB in general,” Thompson said of his game. “Nickel, corner, free safety, strong safety, wherever they need me at, that’s where I’m playing… Just a player that can bring some wins to the team and can just be versatile. Show the versatility and can help the team out in many different ways.”

With Calais Campbell emerging as a possible free agency target and the franchise already signing a star defensive back in Jalen Thompson, the Cowboys are moving in the right direction to improve their defense and finally push for the Lombardi Trophy to end Dallas’ 30-year Super Bowl drought.