A Cowboys-Chiefs trade for desperate Dallas to give first-round bust one last chance

Something has to give at some point for the Dallas Cowboys. Whether that's finding a running back better suited for a heavy workload than a washed Ezekiel Elliott, paying Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, or a variety of other needs this team still has after the draft, Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones have to make something happen for this team to be a potential contender once again.

While running back has been the most obvious need and position of note in potential trades that the Cowboys could still make, though, wide receiver shouldn't be overlooked either. After all, the group right now looks like Lamb, Brandin Cooks and then a variety of unproven options like Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks and special teams ace Kavontae Turpin, among others. So yeah, a trade could help.

But Dallas isn't operating in a great financial position right now, working with a little more than $3 million in cap space, though they can still move some money around to create a bit more room. Lucky for them, if the defending back-to-back champion Kansas City Chiefs are willing, they may have the Cowboys' ideal option in Kadarius Toney that they could trade.

Toney, a first-round pick in 2021 by the New York Giants, is as mercurial as they come. He's a prodigious talent who just simply hasn't put it together yet, whether that's been because of numerous injuries, countless mental lapses, or something in-between. Still, the talent is undeniable, and could be worth the risk for the Cowboys, especially if the Chiefs are ready to cut bait after not picking up his fifth-year option.

Of course, the Chiefs' current situation with Rashee Rice raises some questions about if they'd deal a wide receiver on the trade market. But with Marquise Brown, Xavier Worthy, former second-round pick Skyy Moore, and some others on the roster, it's not impossible. A trade could very well be made without stretching reality too far at all, especially if it means saving all of Toney's $2.5 million-plus on the cap this season.

Cowboys-Chiefs trade to give Kadarius Toney one last chance in Dallas

So what would this deal look like? Frankly, it's probably less than you might be thinking.

The simple truth of the matter is that the Chiefs are only motivated to move Toney if two things are true. First, they have to believe that the former Giants first-rounder is a lost cause and, secondly and related to that, Kansas City also thinks that the cap savings they would get by trading him would be more valuable than having him on the roster.

In actuality, one could argue that maybe even a 2025 seventh-round pick could be enough to get this type of trade done between the Cowboys and Chiefs. However, Dallas doesn't have that option after sending their lone seventh-round selection to the Detroit Lions during the 2024 draft-night trade wherein the Cowboys acquired No. 29 and No. 73 from the Lions for No. 24 and the 2025 pick.

Because of that, you do have to wonder if maybe Dallas could try to get a bit cheeky by sending a 2026 sixth-round pick or something of that ilk to try and make this trade, which isn't entirely implausible. But again, from the Chiefs' side of things, if they are ready to trade Toney, the nearly $2.5 million in savings is really the endgame, not the returning draft capital.

As for the Cowboys, the impetus for such a trade would be trying to be the team that can realize the undeniable and immense talent of Toney, without question. Dallas, however, could be uniquely motivated to want to pursue that gamble in a trade with Kansas City. After all, in Toney's one game against America's Team while he was still in New York, he torched his then-NFC East rival with 10 catches for 189 yards while adding a seven-yard rush for good measure.

How likely is this trade? At the moment, it seems probably more likely to not happen simply because of the Chiefs' uncertainty in the receiving room regarding Rice's looming suspension and legal issues. Things can change quickly, though, and if Kansas City determines that, no matter how the Rice situation plays out, that Toney really won't be able to help them this season, it's an opportunity the Cowboys need to be ready to jump at.