This Packers-Cowboys trade for Michael Gallup could actually work

The Dallas Cowboys fire sale could be coming, but how much would a standout player cost? 

Whether the Dallas Cowboys want to admit it, this isn’t their year. Sure, playing in the NFC (L)East might keep them around in postern talk, but all that’s actually probably hurting the franchise than helping.

Dallas already parted ways with Everson Griffen and have made veterans Donatri Poe and Daryl Worley available. The problem here is that the trio likely won’t haul in anything higher than a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft.

Trading away Michael Gallup might not be what the fanbase wants, but with CeeDee Lamb now under contract through at least 2023, Gallup us expendable. He also will likely bring in a high price on the open market since he’ll be under contract through 2021.

The Green Bay Packers have to be a front-runner for Gallup and the right price should allow them to pull the trigger. The question is though, what’s the right price?

How much would it cost to land Michael Gallup? 

Green Bay’s offense is still putting up points with limited targets. Aaron Rodgers is having an MVP-renaissance revival in 2020, throwing for 1,657 yards, 17 touchdowns and only a pair of interceptions. When looking back at Sunday’s 35-20 win over the Texans, the 36-year-old threw for 283 yards, but 196 went to his go-to target in Devante Adams.

Green Bay isn’t trotting out to play bottom five secondaries every week, meaning Adams won’t have consistent 150-plus yard games. Outside of the occasional Robert Tonyan or Marques Valdes-Scantling connection, it’s either Rodgers going for No.17 or dumping it off to Aaron Jones in the flats as the team’s No.2 option.

Green Bay currently has $7.39 million in cap space before the trade deadline, meaning adding one or two players still on rookie contracts isn’t a far-fetched idea. Gallup would cost pennies on the dollar for 2020 as he’s only making $972,495 for 2020 and will only garner $1.14 million in 2021. Green Bay could cover that as they have $4.32 million to play with entering next offseason.

If the team wants to free up more cap space to give Gallup or any player a long-term deal, perhaps making one of their defensive backs expendable would help. Josh Jackson never found his footing in the mix of Green Bay’s secondary and only recently started playing due to Kevin King’s injury. If the team believes King will return soon, this should help the Cowboys land another piece to their secondary through 2021.

Gallup is coming off his best season where he hauled in 66 receptions for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns. He’s off to a similarly productive year with limited quarterback play, tallying 19 catches for 371 yards and a touchdown in seven games.

Cedrick Wilson broke free with a 107-yard outing against Seattle, showing there’s talent outside the “Big 3”. Gallup will likely walk in free agency, so Dallas should cash in while he’s hot.

A third-round and late-round pick absolutely gets this deal done, but a mid-round compensation pick and Jackson also could be negotiated in terms of fixing the Cowboys putrid secondary.