Cowboys eye Al-Shaair, Brooks in trade pivot after free agency miss
· Yahoo Sports
The Cowboys were supposed to "bust the budget" once free agency began. Yet the linebacker spot, a position of dire need, dried up so quickly the team now has to pivot to find suitable bodies via the trade department. Dallas began an early flirtation with Pittsburgh linebacker Patrick Queen , but now the Cowboys appear to have their eyes set on other intriguing names who would make fans forget about the misfires in free agency.
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According to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, the Cowboys have turned their attention to Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and the Dolphins Jordyn Brooks as possible trade candidates to fill their needs.
They’ve pivoted off Queen. Al-Shaair & Brooks are being discussed though
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) March 20, 2026
LB Azeer Al Shaair, Houston Texans
Azeez Al-Shaair, 29, was an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic who latched on with the 49ers for four seasons playing in 56 games, starting 31, before hitting free agency. In his fourth and final season with San Fran, he played under the second-round tender earning himself a $3.9 million payday.
Al-Shaair would sign with Tennessee in 2023 landing a one-year deal worth up to $6 million. He would go on to start all 17 games with the Titans and made 163 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 quarterback hits, and 9 tackles for loss.
The Texans came calling where they inked Shaair to a three-year, $34 million deal including $21.5 guaranteed. In two seasons, Shaair has started 27 games but was suspended in 2024 for three contests after a violent hit on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence.
As for 2026, Al-Shaair enters the final year of this contract in Houston after making the first Pro Bowl of his career, with a $15.2 million cap number. The Texas would save $11.5 million in cash and roughly $2.3 million in cap space by trading the linebacker but would leave $12.8 million in dead money. If they chose to trade Al-Shaair after June 1, Houston would leave much of that dead money into next year's cap.
LB Jordyn Brooks :: Miami Dolphins
The other linebacker mentioned who Dallas is apparently targeting in Miami's Jordyn Brooks. The Dolphins have been extremely active trading away big names in what is clearly a rebuilding year. Miami enters the season with the most dead money and Brooks is currently their second-highest paid player.
Brooks, 28, is a Texas native who was a 2020 first-round pick by Seattle after an impressive career at Texas Tech University. In four seasons with the Seahawks, Brooks played in 63 games starting 55.
In 2024, the Dolphins handed Brooks a three-year, $26.2 million deal that came with $16 million in guarantees. Like Al-Shaair, Brooks waited till 2025 to garner recognition as he was named an All-Pro after posting 183 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
If traded before June 1, Miami would save roughly $2.8 million against the cap but would incur $8.2 million in dead money. A post June 1 trade would save the Dolphins $8.3 million in cap space while leaving just $2.4 million in dead cap.
NFL teams are not allowed to process a trade as a post-June 1 designation. The workaround, teams can agree to terms but must wait until June 2 to officially process the transaction. Since the 2026 NFL Draft comes before that pivotal date, a 2027 draft selection would likely be the compensation in any deal.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys monitoring Al-Shaair, Brooks trade as cap situations align