3 blockbuster trades Cowboys would make if Jerry Jones weren't owner

The 2024 NFL season is on the brink of disaster for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys might be 3-3 on the year, but their 47-9 loss against the Detroit Lions showed just how far away they are from being a legitimate threat in the NFC.

So far, this team is playing with as much urgency as owner and GM Jerry Jones had this past offseason - none. Jones said he was all-in and going to do whatever it took to field a winner, but his actions suggested differently. His team has not played with the urgency necessary to win.

The Cowboys being in the spot that they're in has fans wondering what life might be like if Jones wasn't running the show. Perhaps, if the Cowboys had a decision-maker desperate to win as much as Jones says he is, they'd look to acquire any of these three players to try and turn this season around.

3. The Cowboys should acquire Haason Reddick for pennies on the dollar

The New York Jets traded a third-round pick (that could've become a second) for Haason Reddick, expecting him to be a premier pass rusher for them. Unfortunately for New York, Reddick has not played a single snap as he holds out for a new deal, and based on recent reporting, it's anyone's best guess as to if or when Reddick will suit up.

With that in mind, now would be a perfect time for the Cowboys to swoop in and acquire Reddick in a trade. New York has made it known that they aren't looking to trade him, but how long can they maintain that mindset knowing that Reddick has no interest in showing up without a multi-year deal in place?

For the Cowboys to acquire Reddick and get him to actually show up, they'd have to give up trade compensation while also giving Reddick the long-term deal he covets, but this kind of deal would prove that the Cowboys are all in.

The Cowboys are dealing with injuries in their pass rush with both Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. Reddick could give them some insurance up front while they're banged up and help form a pass rush no opposing team would want any part of. Unfortunately, with Jones in charge, this feels extremely unlikely.

2. Davante Adams would give the Cowboys the WR2 they desperately need

Dak Prescott threw for 178 yards in Sunday's embarrassing loss, half of which went to CeeDee Lamb. If that doesn't show how reliant they are on Lamb and only Lamb to get their offense going, I'm not sure what does.

When Brandin Cooks is healthy he's a decent WR2, but he's on IR and will be out for a while. As of now, their second-best receiver is Jalen Tolbert. That's a problem that must be rectified sooner rather than later to get this offense going. That's where Davante Adams can step in.

Adams has been in trade rumors all year, and chatter has picked up since he requested a trade away from the Las Vegas Raiders weeks ago. It's far from a guarantee that the Raiders will let him go, but since this is the final year of his deal, they'd benefit by trading him and getting what they can get. The Cowboys should look to outbid the field.

Lamb has 21 more targets and nearly 200 more receiving yards than Tolbert. Lamb should be getting a majority of the targets, but it's really hard to run a successful offense with one reliable receiver. Adams in a complimentary role would feast and help the Cowboys get their offense back on track.

1. The Cowboys can stop neglecting the running back position by acquiring Travis Etienne

For whatever reason, the Cowboys decided that they did not care about the running back position anymore this past offseason. Letting Tony Pollard go after a bit of a disappointing 2023 campaign was one thing, but replacing him with Ezekiel Elliott - yes, that Ezekiel Elliott, was another. It never made sense at the time, and six weeks into their season, it's gone about as poorly as anyone other than Jerry Jones expected.

So far this season, Elliott has 115 rushing yards and one touchdown on 38 attempts, averaging 3.0 yards per carry. Rico Dowdle has been a whole lot better since usurping Elliott on the depth chart, but he does not have a single rushing touchdown, and he has rushed for over 50 yards once this season.

The Cowboys rank dead last in the NFL, averaging just 77.2 rushing yards per game. It's virtually impossible for this team to run an offense without any semblance of a running game. Perhaps trading for Travis Etienne can change that.

Etienne has not had a good year at all, but how much of that has to do with the Jacksonville Jaguars being an absolute mess? From a sheer talent perspective, nobody is in the same stratosphere in Dallas' running back room as Etienne. Perhaps a change of scenery can help bring the best out of him.

It'd cost a bit for the Cowboys to acquire Etienne, but he's just 25 years old, was taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and has the potential to be the lead back in Dallas for a long time. It's unlikely, but adding a legitimate running back in the mix would do wonders for the Cowboys.