Getty N'Keal Harry could use a change of scenery.
The Dallas Cowboys rumors will not go away as the team continues to be mentioned as a candidate to improve their secondary. Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon suggests a few trade proposals that would send Patriots Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys.
Gagnon’s most intricate offer has the Cowboys trading receiver Michael Gallup along with a second-round selection to the Patriots. In return, the Cowboys land Gilmore along with under-achieving wide receiver N’Keal Harry.
“It’s unlikely the Cowboys would give up on Gallup and a second-round selection, but that’s where New England might want to start if we’re talking about the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year as well as a first-round wideout who could still become special,” Gagnon detailed. “Harry’s still just 23 years old.”
Another Trade Proposal Has the Cowboys Landing Gilmore for a Second-Round Pick
The Cowboys are unlikely to be willing to trade Gallup in this deal, even though he is slated to hit free agency next offseason. While Harry is a former first-round pick, the receiver has struggled to live up to the expectation he entered the NFL with as a standout player at Arizona State. Harry posted 33 receptions for 309 yards and two touchdowns in 2020 and has since requested a trade. Gagnon also proposed a smaller deal where the receivers are not involved, and the Cowboys still land Gilmore for a second-round pick.
“The Dallas Cowboys have lost top cornerbacks Byron Jones and Chidobe Awuzie in back-to-back offseasons,” Gagnon noted. “And while there’s hope for youngsters Trevon Diggs and Kelvin Joseph alongside veteran Jourdan Lewis, they lack an established No. 1 cover man. Gilmore could change everything for a Dallas team that must be in win-now mode considering the state of the offense. He’s affordable, too, ahead of a walk year in which his cap hit to an acquiring team would be less than $8 million.”
Cowboys Stephen Jones: ‘We’re Always Looking to Get Better’
Despite the outside skepticism, the Cowboys have continuously praised their current cornerback depth chart. The Cowboys have a competitive training camp battle with players including Trevon Diggs, Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown along with rookies Kelvin Joseph and Nashon Wright competing for the starting cornerback spots. When asked about a potential quarterback addition, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones provided a general overview of the team’s current philosophy on potentially making a roster addition.
“As I’ve said, time and time again, player acquisition [is] 365 days a year, we’re always looking to get better,” Jones noted on August 20th in an interview with Dallas’ 105.3 the Fan. “They’re not only competing against each other, but they’re competing against other people in the NFL. Just as people at other positions on our football team are doing the same thing.”
All indications from this offseason show the Cowboys are tightening their belt after signing Dak Prescott to a lucrative $160 million contract extension. There are also the sizable contracts of Jaylon Smith and Ezekiel Elliott that, if you caught the Cowboys front office members in private, they would likely admit to a bit of a buyer’s remorse.
The Cowboys Are Prepared to Lose Either Gallup or Cooper: Report
Trading for Gilmore makes sense if you just look at his reasonable (by NFL standards) $7 million salary, but the reason things are rocky in New England is the corner wants a new deal. The chances of the Cowboys giving up a high future draft pick for a player that is expecting a big future payday are slim. Yet, if the Cowboys are to make a move, improving the secondary is a reasonable place to look first, especially if Trader Jerry decides to swing for the fences before Week 1.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the Cowboys are prepared to lose either Gallup or Amari Cooper in the future given the salary cap constraints. These are two names to watch when the mid-season trade deadline approaches.
“The money crunch between Cooper and Gallup is real, and a calculation Dallas will continue to consider internally,” Fowler detailed. “Gallup is a 2022 free agent, and Cooper is owed $20 million, with a $22 million cap hit and $6 million in dead money. They’d love to keep both, but that might not be possible.”