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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has tried to play up a quarterback controversy in Big D, but the franchise may have a trade chip in Cooper Rush once Dak Prescott returns to the field. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine named Rush among the top three players that the Cowboys should explore trading this season.
“While team owner Jerry Jones talked about the possibility of a QB controversy, there’s no possibility that’s what comes to fruition,” Ballentine wrote on September 30, 2022. “The Cowboys have a substantial financial commitment to Prescott over the next three seasons, and Rush has started just three games in his career.
“Instead, Dallas might find itself with a valuable trade chip once Prescott comes back to the lineup. If another team suffers a major injury at the quarterback position, it may be willing to pay up via trade to acquire someone like Rush, who has come in and played winning football off the bench.”
The Risk in Trading Rush May Not Be Worth the Reward
The case for trading Rush is simple, the quarterback is set to be a free agent at the end of the season and will be looking for a substantial raise from his $1 million salary. Rush could be in high demand from quarterback-needy teams this offseason, likely driving up the price of the quarterback’s next contract. Trading Rush allows the Cowboys to get something in return for the quarterback rather than losing him for nothing in free agency.
Yet, the case to keep Rush is likely stronger considering Prescott has missed significant time in two of the last three seasons. Will Grier pushed Rush for the backup gig during training camp, but it is hard to argue with how the veteran has performed in Prescott’s absence. Prescott is coming off hand surgery, and the Cowboys would be wise to keep Rush as insurance just in case there is a setback once the star returns.
Dallas is likely only looking at a mid-to-late round future draft pick in a potential Rush deal. The quarterback would have a higher trade value if he was signed to a long-term contract, but Rush’s new team would likely be signing him to a lucrative new deal in 2023.
Could the Cowboys Explore Additional Trades?
Ballentine mentioned two defenders as additional trade candidates: Dante Fowler Jr. and Trysten Hill. Given the Cowboys depth on the defensive line, both players are potential trade chips as the deadline nears on November 1. The Dallas offense has performed better since scoring just three points in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Bucs, but the Cowboys are still a candidate to potentially add a veteran wide receiver.
Michael Gallup is expected to suit up against Washington to serve as the team’s WR2 next to CeeDee Lamb. Outside of the emergence of Noah Brown, the rest of the Dallas wideouts have been inconsistent. If the Cowboys do pull off a mid-season trade, wide receiver should be at the top of the team’s list.
As for the quarterbacks, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the soonest Prescott is likely to return to the field is Week 6 against the Eagles. Prescott has insisted that he would like to return sooner, but the Cowboys can afford to be cautious given Rush’s play.
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