There are now two weeks left until the NFL trade deadline expires and the Cowboys are in a precarious situation. With a 3-3 record on the season and after a bye week, the club risks facing a lost season. Dallas is going to two mediocre teams over the next 12 days, the 3-4 San Francisco 49ers and the 4-3 Atlanta Falcons. If they survive the trips with a win or two, they may feel like they can strengthen in the second half of the season.
However, if they fall in both cases, falling to 3-5, it will likely be time to recognize that rebuilding needs to be fully embraced instead of overlapping with the demolition phase. In this scenario, the front office would be doing itself a disservice by retaining veterans whose contracts are expiring. Trading a veteran is not done without caution; Players expected to sign substantial deals will offer their former teams the opportunity to obtain a compensatory pick aligned with the amount of their next contract.
This creates an interesting situation for several players with Pro Bowls and All-Pros on their resumes. Here’s a look at five players who could bring in some nice draft capital for the Cowboys.
Quarterback Trey Lance
Lance hasn’t done anything in the league, but his athleticism and pedigree keep him in the public’s mind as a potential solution. Seeing players who struggled to get their careers off to a successful start (Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, Ryan Tannehill, etc.) will give some teams hope of discovering a diamond in the rough.
With recent injuries to Deshaun Watson and Aidan O’Connell, Dallas may have an opportunity to recoup some level of compensation after spending a fourth-round pick to acquire Lance from the 49ers last summer.
BY DeMarcus Lawrence
Lawrence made two consecutive Pro Bowls and four overall. He currently leads the team with three sacks, although he has missed the last two games while on IR. He’s a two-way player who is normally one of the best in the league at setting the edge. The problem is that Lawrence is suffering from a Lisfranc sprain in his foot and may not be healthy enough to undergo a medical for his new club.
OG Zack Martin
Martin is not the same player who was considered the best in the league for the majority of his career. He is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and set the standard for inside line play for his generation. At this point, he’s still well above replacement level and there’s a very good chance his decline has to do with the scheme he’s being asked to play under Mike Solari. A fresh start could easily lead to a career rejuvenation.
Which creates a conundrum. With a new staff almost guaranteed for 2025, is Dallas trying to convince Martin to retire a Cowboy? Is he close to retirement anyway? These are conversations that will need to be had with the star over the next two weeks.
WR Brandin Cooks
Cooks hasn’t made an impact this season, but that may have more to do with the knee injury that lands him on IR. Set to be activated after the Atlanta game, it’s unclear if that’s a reasonable expectation or not, but if so, he could be an interesting player to deal with. Dallas hasn’t been very explosive on offense, but after Week 9, would there be any point in keeping him on board? He would be more of an obstacle to progress than a solution and if a team offers some level of compensation for Day 3, it might make sense to move him and save around $3 million in salary.
DL Chauncey Golston
Golston is an interesting case because he has been rather nondescript as a Cowboy and is about to see his rookie contract expire. The 2021 third-round pick has played reasonably well as the depth chart has disintegrated in front of him and could be considered a contributing piece by a team in need of rotation help.
This article was originally published on Cowboys Wire: 5 Cowboys Jerry Jones should consider trading before the deadline
