The NFL trade deadline is just one month away, and many teams are looking to make moves in an attempt to make a run to the postseason. With Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones saying the franchise is prepared to make moves to improve the roster, the pressure is on.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Jones is no stranger to making trades, having sent Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in the offseason. This trade has exposed various weaknesses on the defensive side of the ball.
Now, Jones has said that the Cowboys are prepared to make a trade and could look to improve the team before the upcoming deadline.
“I think that old sign is out, ‘Open for Business,’ is there. I think that we are continually looking. As we go on into this season, teams will position themselves where they basically feel like less of a contender because of the losses or because of circumstance on their team,” he said, per The Cowboys.
“That’s when you’ll see sometimes some better players that are available because the team has decided to start redoing some things on their salary cap structure, for instance. There’s opportunity there, and that’s when you start getting those calls. And yes, we’re in a position to improve our team if we get an opportunity to.”
Although the Cowboys could make a variety of different moves before the trade deadline, the most likely trades will come on the defensive side of the ball to help a unit that has struggled in nearly every game this season.
Here are two potential trade options for the Cowboys to help improve the defense:
Trey Hendrickson, Defensive End, Cincinnati Bengals
Hendrickson has consistently proven to be one of the most consistent edge rushers in the league, having finished with 17.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons for the Bengals. However, Cincinnati could already be done for the season and may look to move on from a premier player.
Despite collecting four sacks in five games this season, Hendrickson has been unable to help the Bengals compete at a high level, as the team currently has a record of just 2-3, with all three losses coming since quarterback Joe Burrow went down with an injury.
As a result, the Bengals could look to move on from one of the most expensive players on the roster to acquire future draft capital.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys have struggled to consistently generate a pass rush to start the season, with the team likely needing to bring in one more skilled player to help revitalize the defensive line.
Although Hendrickson might be the best fit of any player who could be traded, some factors could prevent this trade from taking place.
Notably, Hendrickson is expected to seek another contract extension in the next offseason and recently underwent a holdout during contract negotiations, which means the Cowboys would potentially be involved in another messy contract dispute.
As a result, Jones may want to avoid this potential situation and could look in another direction.
Marlon Humphrey, Cornerback, Baltimore Ravens
Humphrey is another veteran who Dallas could look to add to the roster moving forward, though he is likely to be available for different reasons than Hendrickson.
Humphrey has struggled to find a rhythm this season and is currently a starting cornerback on one of the worst defensive units in the NFL. However, a change of scenery could help to revitalize the veteran in the second half of the season.
In addition to a struggling pass rush, the Cowboys’ secondary has been unable to consistently slow down opposing receivers, with multiple players finding wide-open touchdowns over the first portion of the season.
One of the important aspects of this potential trade is that Humphrey will likely cost less draft capital and would quickly become one of the team’s starting cornerbacks moving forward.
Similar to the Bengals, Baltimore has struggled to start the season and could quickly become sellers if these issues persist, as the team appears unlikely to make the playoffs due to its slow start and the numerous injuries across both the offense and defense.
Dallas could capitalize on both Humphrey’s and the Ravens’ slow start to the year and poach one of the more effective cornerbacks in the league, with this singular addition having the potential to change the outcome for the Cowboys’ secondary moving forward.
