The Dallas Cowboys have traded Kelvin Joseph to the Dolphins for former first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene.
Well, I can’t tell you I saw this coming. The Cowboys would have probably cut Joseph anyway, so they picked up the phone to see if any teams were interested.
The Dolphins clearly were, and with that, the Cowboys added depth to cornerback by landing Igbinoghene.
Dallas started trimming the roster to the end goal of 53 players today.
Trade: Dolphins are sending 2020 first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for CB Kelvin Joseph, Dallas’ former second-round pic, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 29, 2023
Igbinoghene was a first-round pick by Miami in 2020.
He played his college ball at Auburn and has played 32 games with five starts in three seasons.
He has done nothing to jump off the screen in those three years, so this is a head-scratcher to me.
It has been a tough few years in Dallas for Joseph.
He never succeeded after being drafted in the second round in 2021.
Thus, instead of letting him go, the Cowboys decided to trade him for someone else who has struggled to catch on with his current club.
Igbinoghene played primarily outside for Miami.
Dan Quinn could move him inside, though, mainly due to his size and lack of speed.
It seemed like there was a pretty good chance that the #Cowboys were going to cut Kelvin Joseph.
Now they get a free look at Noah Igbinoghene. But uh. I don't think you should expect much here.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) August 29, 2023
With a room that contains Trevon Diggs, Stephon Gilmore, and DaRon Bland, this move is to see if a change of scenery will help either player.
Again, Igbinoghene is only 5-10, and he never got going in Miami due to injuries.
He was on the track team at Auburn (high jump and long jump), and was a surprise first-round pick. The Dolphins declined his fifth-year option. So, the trade made sense for both teams.
According to Pro Football Focus, Igbinoghene played 224 snaps at cornerback last year (mostly outside).
He allowed 11 catches out of 23 targets against him for 134 yards, with a quarterback rating of 77.1 allowed in 2022.
As you look at those on the surface, that isn’t bad.
Noah Igbinoghene:
College: Auburn
Ex-1st rounder (MIA 2020)
Games played: 32 w/ 5 starts (3 seasons)I like Igbinoghene's potential as a rotational player (CB5+) that strengthens CB depth for the #Cowboys. 🔬
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) August 29, 2023
We all understand he isn’t being brought in as an every-down guy. Heck, he might even have games where he doesn’t play.
He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024. Last year, in those nine games, he also recorded 10 tackles, one interception, and three pass defenses.
After a day full of roster cuts, I didn’t see this trade coming.
Names such as Jabril Cox, Isaiah Land, and Sean McKeon were all told they would no longer be a part of the roster that needs to be trimmed to 53 by Saturday afternoon.
More moves are coming, and while I thought Dallas wouldn’t trade Joseph, it happened.
Dan Quinn seems to get the best out of players, so maybe he will make Igbinoghene a heck of a player.
Sometimes a player changing teams can make all the difference.
Reports said that KJ was improved this season and he was making great strides.
That is up to you if you want to believe that. I saw enough the last few years to think it was probably the best to move on from him and try someone new.
This doesn’t hurt Dallas, so what the heck.
More moves are on the way, stay tuned into the site to see what else goes down.
