After the Bengals reduced his playing time, linebacker Logan Wilson requested a trade out of Cincinnati in late October. The Bengals granted his wish a few hours before the deadline on Tuesday, sending him to the Cowboys for a 2026 seventh-round pick. The Bengals received other offers for Wilson, but they liked the Cowboys’ the best, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports.
Considering the meager return the Bengals accepted for Wilson, it’s fair to say other teams weren’t beating down the door for the 29-year-old. The Colts, Bills, and 49ers were mentioned as speculative fits for Wilson a couple of weeks ago, though it’s unclear if any of those teams joined the Cowboys in making an offer.
A third-round pick from Wyoming in 2020, Wilson became a full-time starter in his second season. In the midst of a stretch in which he piled up 100-plus tackles four seasons in a row, Wilson signed a four-year, $37.25MM extension in August 2023.
The Cowboys didn’t request any adjustments to Wilson’s deal, which runs through 2027, and they were willing to take on his remaining $2.68MM base salary for this year. That may have helped tip the scales in their favor.
Wilson started in seven of eight appearances with the Bengals this year and totaled 40 tackles, but rookies Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight have taken over as their primary linebackers. The Bengals’ defense checks in at last in the NFL, while the Cowboys own the league’s second-worst unit.
The 3-5-1 Cowboys will hope the acquisitions of Wilson and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, picked up in a pre-deadline blockbuster with the Jets, help turn the tide. Dallas also has a couple of in-house reinforcements set to make their 2025 debuts. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Tuesday that the team plans to play linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and cornerback Shavon Revel after it comes off its bye this week (via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News).
Overshown, who missed his rookie year in 2023 with a torn ACL, returned last season to post 90 tackles, five sacks, four passes defensed, and an interception in 13 games. However, Overshown suffered yet another serious knee injury – a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL – in Week 14. Overshown opened the 2025 campaign on IR and returned to practice on Oct. 20. The Cowboys also designated Revel to return that day. The third-round rookie from East Carolina tore his ACL last year, forcing him to begin his NFL career on the non-football injury list.
Along with Overshown and Revel, the Cowboys hope to welcome back injured starting safeties Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson in Week 11, according to Schottenheimer (via Tommy Yarrish of the team’s website). Hooker landed on IR with a toe injury after Week 4. Wilson, who leads the Cowboys with two interceptions, missed their previous two games with an elbow injury.