Getty The Cowboys are open to a trade deadline deal.
The Dallas Cowboys are open to a potential trade deadline deal.
During an interview on 105.3 The Fan on Friday, October 21, Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones says he isn’t ruling out a possible deal by Nov. 1. As noted by Jones, Dallas has a “really good football team,” but they’re always looking for ways to get better.
Via Jon Machota of The Athletic:
“We think we’ve got a really good football team,” Jones said, “but if we find the right personnel move that would make us better, then we should consider it. … If we saw the right situation and we felt like it was the right upgrade and made us better as a team, we wouldn’t be any less aggressive. We (traded for) Amari Cooper four years ago. We made an aggressive move, gave up a first-round pick, and really felt like Amari could make us a better football team.”
Why Cowboys May Not Make Trade Deadline Deal
Jones isn’t exaggerating. The Cowboys haven’t been shy about making trade deadline deals, with Dallas most notably pulling off one for multi-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper back in 2018 in exchange for a first-round draft pick. Cooper ended up posting back-to-back Pro Bowl berths during his first two seasons with the Cowboys and even put up back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
However, Dallas’ needs this time around aren’t as pressing. The Cowboys could obviously improve at the wide receiver or defensive tackle positions, but it’s unlikely Dallas gives up high draft capital to fill either void. The Cowboys’ weakness at wide receiver has more to do with their secondary receivers, but Machota notes that Dallas is expecting the injured James Washington to fill that void upon his return.
“There aren’t many needs on the current roster,” says Machota. “Another wide receiver would make some sense, but they might view Washington’s return as their ‘help on the way’ at that position.”
Team owner Jerry Jones echoed a similar sentiment as his son, mentioning during an interview on 105.3 The Fan on Friday that the Cowboys aren’t “seriously” looking at any moves, but that could change in an instant.
“There’s absolutely nothing that involves a name of a player or a position that I’m seriously looking at, at this moment, not one move,” he responded. “But could that change in 30 minutes? Of course it could.”
With Dallas playing two more games before the trade deadline at the beginning of next month, they should get a better idea of whether or not they should pull off a deal before then.
Could Cowboys Show Interest in Jets WR Mims Again?
If the Cowboys do look to add another receiver to its core, they could look (again) to New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims. Dallas reportedly made a call for Mims at the start of the season. However, the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement due to the Jets’ asking price.
However, Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher writes that the Jets actually asked for a conditional fifth-round pick that would elevate to a fourth based upon Mims reaching a certain statistical mark.
Via Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher:
“As CowboysSI.com reported at the start of the season, the Cowboys made that call. It has been reported that the Jets were asking for a fourth-round draft pick in exchange for Mims. And that is not exactly true. Sources told us that New York asked for a conditional fifth-round pick that would elevate to a fourth should Mims gain 500 yards receiving with his new team.”
Considering Mims is a former second-round draft pick, his upside could be worth a fourth or fifth-round draft pick. We’ll see if the Cowboys show any interest by the trade deadline.