Trade Rumors: 7 Cowboys Who Could Be Moved
FRISCO - A Dallas Cowboys source tells CowboysSI.com that as of the start of this week, the team has not fielded calls from other NFL clubs interested in plucking talent off this deep roster.
But because there will be ups and downs and changes and injuries, there will be calls. And the rumors are already out there ... (though we're in the process of crushing a bad one regarding Michael Gallup; stay tuned) ... helping us to create the top seven Cowboys who we will speculate will end up as candidates to be traded ...
1 Neville Gallimore - Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer is writing about Dallas “trade chips'' at defensive tackle, noting, “Veteran Jonathan Hankins has been a pleasant surprise next to (Mazi) Smith.''
We don't agree with the "surprise'' part; Hankins has been a starter here since the late-2022 trade and all spring and summer he's been a top-of-the-rotation run-stopper. But we do agree that there are extra bodies here. And we name Gallimore not because he's done anything wrong, but rather because we know from his draft pedigree (he was third-rounder in 2020) that there are other teams who like him.
2 Quinton Bohanna - The same depth-related logic applies to "Bo,'' with one big difference: The pedigree (as a 2021 sixth-rounder) isn't there. There was a time with Bohanna was relied upon here to be a "plug,'' as he himself called it. The Mazi and Hankins moves mark a major upgrade here.
Why won't teams trade for Bohanna, though? They will likely anticipate he'll be among the cuts to 53 on August 29.
3 Dorance Armstrong - We think this is a silly idea - he's a stud on an affordable contract. But Armstrong is out of contract after this season. So ... are the Cowboys so deep at defensive end that they'd rather trade Armstrong (some have suggested a fourth-round pick) rather than play him in 2023 before letting him go free in 2023 ... and then netting a pick not dissimilar to the one being gossiped about?
ESPN’s Dan Graziano is among those suggesting ideas like this, the NFL insider citing Seattle as a potential trade partner. Problem: A source inside the Seahawks tells CowboysSI.com that Seattle is presently satisfied with its group.
4 Kelvin Joseph - There is un-mined talent here in the 2021 second-rounder. When will it show itself? As we've noted before Joseph as a helper on special teams might not be enough. Would a fresh start elsewhere help?
5 Jourdan Lewis - This name comes up a lot, but where is the value for the new team in taking on Lewis as he is recovering from a season-ending foot injury sustained last October? Dallas can net some cap savings with a goodbye here, and DaRon Bland has effectively taken over Lewis’ slot corner job.
More likely than a summer trade? Lewis remains on PUP for a time and then, once healthy, becomes an in-season swap subject.
6 An Extra Safety - The "Three-Headed Monster'' - Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson - is likely locked in ... though Dallas would certainly get some nibbles if one of them was dangled.
But what about behind them? Young safeties Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell surely jumped off the screen when other teams watched Dallas vs. Jacksonville. Something's gotta give here. It'd be nice if Dallas could also "get.''
7 The "Fifth Horseman'' - How much room is there for "extra'' tight ends? Jake Ferguson is the starter and second-round rookie Luke Schoonmaker isn't going anywhere. Peyton Hendershot is athletic. Sean McKeon can block. And now along comes 6-5, 225-pound UDFA John Stephens, who looks like a prospect.
There is something to be said for Dallas not only spending the next two preseason games in "development'' of some of these kids, at tight end and in other areas where there is depth ... but also in "showcasing'' some of them.
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