Grading a Cowboys-Chiefs trade for Chris Jones amid contract drama

The Chiefs have spent the 2023 offseason locked in a starring contest with Chris Jones waiting to see who will blink first on his contract dispute.

The All-Pro defensive tackle wants a historic payday from Kansas City. The Chiefs want to keep their star lineman but don't want to break the bank either.

With the 2023 season quickly approaching and Jones still holding out, the idea of the Chiefs trading Jones has become more realistic than anyone expected.

So this week, Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon proposed some trades for Jones, including a hypothetical offer from the Cowboys. Does it pass muster?

Cowboys-Chiefs trade grade for hypothetical Chris Jones trade

From the Cowboys perspective, this trade would be a home run.

Jerry Jones and company are chasing a Super Bowl and Jones is a Super Bowl-winning defensive tackle. There's absolutely no question he'd be worth giving up a first-round draft pick. That selection likely wouldn't come until late in the round anyway.

Dallas throwing in Odighizuwa, a 2021 third-round selection, also makes sense. The defensive tackle has shown plenty of promise in his two seasons, but in win-now mode, he's not untouchable.

The difference between a Cowboys front including Odighizuwa versus one including Jones is sizable.

Cowboys grade: A

Of course, the big problem with this trade is that the Chiefs should never agree to it.

Odighizuwa would be a nice option to fill the gap left behind by Jones, especially with two years left on his rookie deal and a much cheaper price tag than Jones when he hits free agency in 2025.

However, the draft pick almost certainly being in the bottom half of the first round doesn't make sense for Kansas City. We know they don't want to trade Jones. If Brett Veach parted with him for this little, we'd have to ask about body snatchers.

Chiefs grade: D

The Cowboys should certainly be a team interested in adding a player like Jones considering their available cap space and Super Bowl aspirations.

However, they'd need to make the Chiefs an offer worth taking. This doesn't look like enough to move the needle.