Rumor: Dallas Cowboys Call Cardinals for Trade for Tight End Zach Ertz

The Dallas Cowboys have reportedly talked to the Arizona Cardinals about a trade involving tight end Zach Ertz.

With the NFL trade deadline less than two weeks away, rumors have ramped up exponentially in the past few days.

The Dallas Cowboys' plan at the deadline is simple: add whatever is needed to finally get over the playoff hump. With the Cowboys being clear buyers, not to mention arguably the most popular team in the league, they have been the subject of a plethora of recent trade rumors.

Those rumors range far and wide, but one of them seems particularly interesting. According to an NFL Analysis Network source, the Cowboys have reached out to the Arizona Cardinals about a trade involving tight end Zach Ertz.

“The Cowboys would love to get something done before the trade deadline," the source said. "Zach Ertz is a name they have talked about. Conversations are ongoing between Dallas and Arizona.”

Ertz reaches for the ball during a game against the Cowboys in 2021

We are frankly a bit skeptically about this "sourced'' material on a 33-year-old player who costs $12 million APY. But ... As for why the Cowboys would be interested in Ertz, it all goes back to one of their biggest struggles this season: red zone offense. Dallas has made 23 trips to the red zone this season, but has only reached the end zone on nine of those trips. Ertz, who stands at 6-5 and 250 pounds, could be the matchup problem the Cowboys desperately need.

After letting Dalton Schultz walk this offseason, the Cowboys have rolled with a young group at tight end to mixed results. Jake Ferguson has been solid with 21 receptions for 190 yards and a touchdown, but his fellow tight ends haven't been able to carve out a role in the offense. Adding a proven veteran such as Ertz, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, would certainly help address this issue.

If the Cowboys are truly interested in Ertz, there's a good chance he will be available. The Cardinals are looking to be sellers as a young team at 1-5 (with that one win coming against the Cowboys), and any additional draft compensation would be enticing. Ertz also played just 46 percent of Arizona's offensive snaps in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams, with second-year tight end Trey McBride taking a larger role in the offense.

Ertz arrived in Arizona via a midseason trade two years ago, but Cowboys fans probably know him better from his time with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013 to 2021. Through his decade-plus long career, Ertz has 7,415 yards and 46 touchdowns.