<\/p>\n
While there are many things to criticize the Dallas Cowboys’ front office for, their willingness to engage in trade talks isn’t one of them.\u00a0Jerry Jones is known as The Gambler\u00a0for a reason, and in this most recent iteration, his franchise has been more than willing to play the asset swapping game.<\/p>\n
Armed with two first-round picks in April\u2019s draft and the ability to create as much cap space as needed, Cowboys\u2019 Executive Vice President Stephen Jones acknowledged at the NFL\u2019s scouting combine how the team remains \u201copen minded to trading\u201d for the right fit.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear if Jones meant trading one of the two first-round selections, or if other options were on the table, but the\u00a0Cowboys\u00a0are one of the more aggressive teams in the trade market. Last offseason the front office made numerous deals, even before eventually trading away star pass rusher Micah Parsons.<\/p>\n
Dallas traded for two former first-round picks in cornerback\u00a0Kaiir Elam and linebacker Kenneth Murray\u00a0in March before the draft, then shipped out a seventh-round selection for quarterback Joe Milton in early April. Post-draft, the Cowboys then made a big splash by acquiring wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers in May.<\/p>\n
In those four deals, the highest traded pick was a third-round selection the Cowboys gave the\u00a0Steelers, which comes in the upcoming draft. Elam and Murray were both exactly who they had been with their previous teams, underachieving former first-round picks who weren\u2019t very good. Elam didn\u2019t last the season before he was released. Milton solved the need for a developmental backup QB at a very cheap price.<\/p>\n
Pickens turned out to be a steal, giving the Cowboys\u2019 offense what they coveted, a vertical threat and a legitimate WR2 across from fellow WR CeeDee Lamb.<\/p>\n
Then came the Parsons trade that gave the Cowboys a ton of draft, and trade, capital. With two first-round picks in the next two drafts, the Joneses went to work during the 2025 season to get better. The Cowboys\u2019 next few moves were a couple of in-season deals; they sent a seventh-round pick for LB Logan Wilson, whom they recently released, and then they swung another blockbuster.<\/p>\n
The Cowboys traded with the\u00a0New York Jets\u00a0for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, which cost them their second-round pick in 2026, and their first-round pick in 2027. Williams is now one of the building blocks for a defense that\u2019s in the process of being reshaped.<\/p>\n
Pickens and Williams are big pieces of the puzzle for the Cowboys moving forward, but they cost the franchise premium draft capital, which the team could try to recoup through trades. It wouldn\u2019t be a surprise if Dallas did a draft day swap and moved down to regain extra selection(s) on Day 2 of the draft. Currently, the Cowboys have no picks in the second or third rounds in April.<\/p>\n
Moving up to grab a premium player is also on the table. There are even some hopeful scenarios where they can both move up and also recoup later selections.<\/p>\n
History tells us the Joneses have no issues wheeling or dealing early in the draft. In the last 15 years, the Cowboys have traded their first-round pick five times. They have traded up once, back three times to gain extra picks, and once traded the selection for a player, WR Amari Cooper. The team has also turned down offers to trade back twice in the last four years, once when they selected DT Mazi Smith, and again when they\u00a0drafted offensive lineman Tyler Smith.<\/p>\n
The Cowboys are often open for business when it comes to trading, especially in the draft. And without a second or third-round selection in this draft, the team might be tempted to make a move back and add to their collection of picks.<\/p>\n
Nor should anyone put it past the Joneses trading a player for a player, or picks. With Pickens getting the franchise tag, it could allow another team to\u00a0make an offer to lure the All-Pro receiver away. The rumblings of a Pickens-for-Maxx-Crosby-plus-draft-compensation swap have made the rounds because the Cowboys are in dire need of defensive help, but he\u2019s not the only option. Getting more draft pick ammunition or other help on defense could intrigue the Cowboys if they can’t come to an agreement with Pickens.<\/p>\n
Last year, the team was in a similar boat with Parsons and elected to trade him. Parsons was scheduled to play on the fifth-year option, but Jones decided to deal his best player to the\u00a0Green Bay Packers\u00a0for two first-round picks. It\u2019s hard to see Pickens bringing back that type of compensation but trading him is an avenue towards getting better on defense.<\/p>\n
They might not be aggressive in free agency, as they’ve promised to change this year, but one place where it\u2019s tough to knock the Cowboys is in the trade market. That\u2019s where they like to live and more deals could be headed Dallas\u2019 way this offseason.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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