Dallas Cowboys rumors: NFL Trade Deadline hopes, trade assets, Dak Prescott

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, rumors floating around the league will be plentiful. For the Dallas Cowboys, however, any rumors may be just that, and only that. But there’s always a bit of hope out there that Dallas will make a move to bring in a big name or ship out an underperforming one in an attempt to improve this team. Realistically, most Cowboys fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath where this is concerned since we are talking about Jerry Jones.

Stephen Jones’ glimmer of hope at trade deadline

Cowboys executive vice president, Stephen Jones, gave a small glimmer of hope to fans just days before the Nov. 5, trade deadline. While Jones’ words sound good, that’s all they are. Actions will speak much louder especially since Dallas is usually quiet on this front.

“We’ll do business as usual. We’ve got a lot of good players that are going to be coming back over the next 3 or 4 weeks," Stephen Jones said. "If the right deal pops itself up, then we’ll certainly look at that.”

While Jones stated this in a tempered manner so as to not get fans’ hopes too high, it is a different message than the usual, “we’re happy with what we’ve got” message, Jerry Jones usually communicates. It’s clear this team does not have all the pieces needed to compete right now but Jerry either can’t admit it or doesn’t realize it.

Dallas has holes in the backfield, the offensive line and wide receiver that need filling and that’s just on offense. They need help but [Jerry] Jones is too stubborn to admit where he’s missed and fix the problem.

Potential Cowboys on the trade block

At this point, anyone outside of Dak Prescott could be on the trade block and the only reason the quarterback won’t be is because of that brand new contract. Other than that, no one should be safe but there are a few names you could hear as we approach the deadline.

Zack Martin, Osa Odighizuwa and Trey Lance are names that could get some attention over the next few days. All for different reasons but these are names that could get some attention.

For the former All-Pro, Martin’s prime is clearly behind him although he does something left in the tank. The offensive line hasn’t been good this year and moving on from the 33-year-old Martin would clear some cap space and potentially net a decent draft pick or two. It would most likely be mid-to-latest round draft picks but the Cowboys aren’t in a position to be super picky.

As for Odighizuwa, he’s been one of the bright spots on the defense this season and at 26 years of age could attract good draft capital. No one wants to trade away good promising players but if you can replace them with one or two prospects of equal or greater talent, then it may be worth it in the long run.

When it comes to Trey Lance, there isn’t much to say. Jerry traded a fourth-round pick to San Francisco for Lance last year and that’s where the story starts and ends essentially. Other than some preseason snaps there aren’t too many realistic scenarios where Lance touches the field in the regular season as long as Dak stays healthy. On top of that Lance isn’t even QB2, he’s the third-string emergency quarterback. It’s time to admit this was a mistake, grab whatever you can and move on.

Jerry Jones’ strong feelings on Dak’s legs

Jerry Jones is not a fan of his QB running the ball often, especially after that leg injury that forced Prescott to miss most of the 2020 campaign. Some have called for Dak to go back to running the ball more like earlier in his career. However, even outside of the injury many QBs tend to run less as they age in the league and gain more experience.

"You really don't want to see him really take off with that ball," owner and general manager Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan. "These quarterbacks that run, you know they're gonna get injured. That happens. It happens to the youngest and it happens to the best. It's happened to Dak."

"To the end that we rely on him to stay healthy, that's an important part of it," Jones said. "I wouldn't say it's up there in red letters at the facility to not run, but I'd say we want him to be smart about it. And he is being smart about it. However, he will, when he sees the opportunity, pull it down and run with it — as we know."

Jones makes valid points as running at the QB position opens you up to more hits and potential injury. But the fact that the Cowboys rely so heavily on Prescott is one of the reasons why they’ve struggled this season. The other parts aren’t exactly holding up their end on offense and that’s become an unbearable weight upon Prescott’s shoulders.