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The Dallas Cowboys turned down a ridiculous trade offer for a star player at the trade deadline.
At the trade deadline, the Cowboys were in talks with the Houston Texans regarding a trade for star receiver Brandin Cooks. However, the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a deal that made that trade beneficial for both parties.
Now we’re finding out exactly why that was the case. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Texans not only wanted the Cowboys — or other potential suitors — to take on Cooks’ $18 million guaranteed salary for the 2023 season, they also wanted a second and fourth-round draft pick in exchange for Cooks.
“One of the main reasons Houston was unable to trade WR Brandin Cooks was because it wanted second- and fourth-round picks in return for him, per sources,” says Schefter. “No team was willing to trade a 2 and 4, and assume Cooks’ $18 million fully guaranteed money for next season.”
Texans’ Asking Price Too Much in Trade for Cooks
It’s clear Dallas was trying to focus on the receiver position to upgrade at the deadline. The Cowboys are currently lacking depth at the position with Michael Gallup failing to regain his form since his return from an ACL injury and James Washington remaining sidelined due to a Jones fracture injury.
Cooks remains one of the better receivers in the league. Although his numbers have seen a decline this season — 32 receptions for 354 yards and one touchdown — he has been playing for the worst team in the league in the 1-6-1 Texans. The 29-year-old Cooks demonstrated as recently as last season that he was still one of the top receivers in the league when he produced 90 receptions for 1,037 yards and six touchdowns with a rookie (Davis Mills) starting at quarterback.
However, Cooks is not a game-changing player worth sacrificing multiple valuable draft picks for. He’s a solid receiver capable of playing the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver role on a good team, but is he a player that would lift Dallas over the hump to a Super Bowl? Probably not.
Considering Washington is slowly working his way back into the lineup and the fact that Odell Beckham Jr. remains a free agent available to be signed, it’s a good thing Dallas rejected the Texans’ trade offer.
Analyst Predicts OBJ to Sign With Cowboys
If you’re wondering why the Cowboys didn’t pull off a trade for a receiver at the deadline, it’s probably because they can sign the best available one in free agency.
As predicted by CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan, he expects to Dallas to sign the three-time Pro Bowl receiver.
“Throughout the year, the Rams and Bills have been the two favorites to land Beckham, but we’ll go out on a limb to say the opportunity to put a star on the side of his helmet will be enticing for him,” says Sullivan. “The Cowboys have also already shown us that they are in the market for a wide receiver as they were reportedly deep in discussion to acquire Brandin Cooks at the deadline, but ultimately couldn’t get the money to work. To keep pace with Philadelphia and the rest of the playoff hopefuls, Jerry Jones will add Beckham to give Dallas’ offense a boost in a similar fashion the wideout gave the Rams in the second half of last year. ”
Beckham still hasn’t returned from an ACL injury suffered in the Super Bowl, but he’s expected to return in late November or December. Signing Beckham gives the Cowboys that X-factor they’re seeking for a potential Super Bowl run, very similar to the role he played for the Los Angeles Rams last season.
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