Cowboys Trade DE Tarell Basham? Source On Phone-Call & PFF Rumors

A thigh injury caused Tarell Basham to be moved to IR on Sept. 17, making him eligible to return to the roster in Week 7 - and creating trade speculation outside of Cowboys HQ.

FRISCO - The rumors - or, better put, the gossip - makes sense. The Dallas Cowboys at defensive end are full-up. That's why Tarell Basham is suddenly being identified as a trade piece. ... but not necessarily by the Cowboys themselves.

In fact, the last time we asked, the Cowboys had not fielded any inquiries about the trade-block availability of Basham, who last year tied his career high in sacks (3.5) while logging six starts and playing in 17 games.

This year, a thigh injury caused Basham to be moved to IR on Sept. 17, making him eligible to return to the roster in Week 7 ... so the clock it ticking. Basham is practicing today, meaning his 21-day return window is open, but ...

Where does he fit?

Putting starting quarterback Dak Prescott back into the lineup with his surgically repaired thumb healed was an easy call; Cooper Rush is 4-1 as a starter, but he's not Prescott. In the case of the Dallas defensive ends group, DeMarcus Lawrence and Dorance Armstrong are not going to be moved out as starters, vet Dante Fowler, Chauncey Golston and rookie Sam Williams are keepers, and even reserve vet Carlos Watkins is available there for this "pissed-off'' (after losing in Philly) unit. ... which got things fixed to 5-2 with the win over Detroit, and now facing the Bears in Week 8.

Oh, and of course "Lion-backer'' Micah Parsons (a league leader with eight sacks) sometimes takes a chair in that room as well.

ESPN is suggesting loosely that the Cowboys - who pinpointed Basham as a Jets free agent in 2021 - are "willing to part with'' him, and if that happens, we will report it. And PFF thinks it appropriate to trade Basham for a lowly sixth-round pick. (Give us a bit of time; we'll ask about that idea.)

But Dallas has a habit of wanting to collect pass-rushers, and of valuing them ... so a giveaway does not seem prudent, even though the Cowboys have "too many.''

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