Inside The Star
A report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero suggests the Minnesota Vikings are actively searching the trade market for a veteran wide receiver.
With Jordan Addison suspended and several injuries hitting their depth chart, Minnesota is looking for stability at the position.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys could have the perfect trade partner.
Having executed player-for-player swaps in recent offseasons, Dallas may once again use this approach to address a major roster weakness.
Jalen Tolbert entered the league in 2022 as a 3rd round pick with expectations of becoming a key rotational piece for the Cowboys’ passing attack.
Instead, he has struggled to consistently carve out a role.
While his flashes in training camp have kept him in the conversation, his on-field production has lagged behind what the team envisioned when drafting him.
Now entering the final year of his rookie deal, Tolbert faces an uncertain future in Dallas.
The front office has shown little indication of offering him an extension, and with CeeDee Lamb entrenched as the WR1 and George Pickens providing veteran stability for 2025, Tolbert is expendable.
For the Cowboys, moving on now could be smarter than losing him for nothing in free agency.
If Dallas does entertain trade talks with Minnesota, one logical return piece would be DT Harrison Phillips.
The Cowboys’ interior defensive line remains a weak spot, with little proven production behind Osa Odighizuwa.
Phillips, known for his strength and run-stopping ability, could immediately help shore up the middle of the defense, an area that has plagued Dallas for multiple seasons.
The veteran defensive tackle is buried in the depth chart behind free agent acquisitions Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
Phillips wouldn’t be a flashy addition, but his blue-collar game would give Matt Eberflus’ defense the kind of interior anchor it has sorely lacked.
For a team that has leaned on Micah Parsons and the edge rushers to carry the front, adding a dependable body inside could elevate the entire unit.
The biggest obstacle to a Tolbert trade may not come from the Vikings’ side at all but from within Dallas.
Jonathan Mingo’s recent PCL sprain will sideline him for the first four games of the season, leaving the Cowboys thinner than expected at wide receiver.
Tolbert suddenly finds himself back in the mix as the likely WR3, a role that could prove crucial early in the year.
In the end, the Cowboys may have to choose between short-term necessity and long-term roster building.
Trading Tolbert could bring back valuable defensive help, but with Mingo sidelined, his presence in the receiver rotation might be needed more than ever.
