Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys would be wise to consider a few hypothetical trades.
As the Super Bowl approaches, the NFL world keeps turning. Cleveland Browns star defensive end and reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, requested a trade from Cleveland after spending his first eight seasons with the Browns. In other news, the Los Angeles Rams have informed Cooper Kupp that he will be shopped to teams and made available for trade. These are big stories; any team would be happy to have this caliber of player, including the Dallas Cowboys. However, as we have learned, the Cowboys aren’t big spenders on the trade market, and these stories regarding the Cowboys’ interest in highly-sought-after players are usually as real as Bigfoot. The Cowboys value their draft picks, and trading a high draft pick on Garrett or Kupp is a foreign concept.
Still, we’ve seen for the Cowboys to keep up with the rest of the NFL, they will have to be more aggressive with executing trades for veterans. They could pull off a few trades that would give them a more competitive roster and the comfort of keeping their premium draft picks. Mind you, that’s not to say that Dallas should make all of these proposed trades. The Cowboys have shown that they heavily value all of their draft assets. However, here are three trades the Cowboys could make that fit a smart trade budget and help them return to the post season next year.
Again, do not expect to see Dallas in the Myles Garrett Sweepstakes. It’s not going to happen. That said, the Cowboys need help at defensive end. DeMarcus Lawrence went down early with a season-ending injury, and his future with the team is one of the least talked about unknowns of the offseason. Sam Williams would be heavily counted on in 2024, but an ACL injury derailed what might’ve been a breakout season. Jadeveon Clowney fits a few bullet points for the Cowboys:
•Veteran with some gas left in the tank
•Low price tag ($8.5M base salary in 2025)
• A trade partner with a marginal asking price and willing to shed salaries
Clowney was relatively healthy last season, playing in 14 games and totaled 8.5 sacks. He won’t be expected to be his old self, but he should provide depth along the defensive line and give the Cowboys flexibility to not feel obliged to reach for a defensive end in the draft, instead taking the best player available in the first two rounds.
The Cowboys running back room needs a shake-up. We learned as much when the Cowboys named Derrick Foster as their new running back coach this week. Rico Dowdle was fine, but you can get a more diverse talent for the position, and Etienne would provide that. This year’s draft class of running backs is loaded, which should appeal to Jacksonville and...
