Potential Trade Candidates For Cowboys Before Regular Season

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The Dallas Cowboys have been significantly more aggressive this offseason than in years past, but are there still moves that the franchise can make to improve the team?

Dallas could look to add players via free agency for no additional cost other than a contract, but the free agent market has grown thin, and many of the players available are unlikely to sign for cheap contracts.

Instead, the Cowboys could look to acquire a contributor through a trade with another team.

In all likelihood, the Cowboys are done with trades and will enter the 2025 regular season with the current roster; however, a few realistic moves could still happen in the weeks leading up to training camp.

Now, here are three potential candidates that the Cowboys could trade for, and doing so would immediately improve this team.

Dameon Pierce, Running Back, Houston Texans

Dallas has filled many of the holes on the offensive side of the ball throughout this offseason, but the team’s biggest offensive question is which player will become the featured running back.

The current belief is that Javonte Williams will be the main running back for the team next season, but that role could also be claimed by either Miles Sanders or rookie Jaydon Blue.

Rather than relying on one of the players currently on the roster to assume that role, Dallas should look to acquire another player who could compete for the top spot.

By no means is Pierce guaranteed to become an effective running back this season, but he is entering the final season of his rookie contract, and the Texans could look to move on for a discounted price.

Pierce rushed for 939 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie season in 2022, but Houston has continually added running backs to the team who have been slotted above him in the depth chart.

As a result, Pierce has seen his carries decrease in each of the last two seasons, meaning he still has fresh legs and could still compete for the top spot in the Cowboys’ lackluster running back room.

Additionally, Houston could accept a sixth or seventh-round draft selection in exchange for Pierce, as they are unlikely to re-sign him after years of a limited role.

This trade would provide Dallas with a high-upside running back while limiting risk. The trade would likely be agreed upon for little compensation.

Travis Etienne, Running Back, Jacksonville Jaguars

Dallas’s second candidate for acquisition via trade is another running back. There are rumors that Etienne could be traded after the emergence of Tank Bigsby and the Jaguars’ decision to draft Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round.

Etienne is just one season removed from a 1,008-yard and 11-touchdown rushing season and is entering the final season of his rookie contract.

However, Etienne split carries with Bigsby last season after dealing with fumble issues and injuries, resulting in just 558 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a severely diminished role.

The Jaguars could have a logjam at the running back position entering next season, as Etienne, Bigsby, and Tuten are all options under new Head Coach Liam Cohen.

Jacksonville could look to move on from Etienne at some point in training camp if the team does not expect to re-sign him once his contract expires, making him a potential buy-low candidate for Dallas.

Etienne has also shown an ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, making him a potential candidate for the team’s featured running back if a trade is completed between Dallas and Jacksonville.

Although Etienne would likely cost more in a trade than Pierce, the upside is much higher after he demonstrated back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 yards in his first two years in the NFL.

Jaire Alexander, Cornerback, Green Bay Packers 

Alexander has been discussed as a potential trade candidate across the league for the past few months due to various comments from Packers executives, but nothing has come to fruition to this point in the offseason.

The 28-year-old cornerback remains one of the most effective defenders in the league when he is on the field, but the combination of injury concerns and an expensive contract makes him a difficult player for Green Bay to commit to next season.

Although Dallas has solid depth at the cornerback position, adding another elite player would be incredibly beneficial for a team that will face opponents with great wide receiver cores next season.

Additionally, every cornerback currently on the Cowboys’ roster has dealt with significant injuries in recent years, and adding even more depth would help this team in the event of another major injury.

Recent comments from Green Bay indicate that Alexander could end up staying with the organization next season, but that should not dissuade Dallas from calling to gauge whether the Packers would be interested in a late-round draft pick.

The difficult portion of this trade would come with Alexander’s contract, as he is currently scheduled to make nearly $20 million, and the two sides would have to work around that for a trade to take place.

Alexander is the least likely candidate from this list to be acquired by the Cowboys through a trade, but there is still a path for this to happen, and if a deal is worked out, this addition could be a game-changer for Dallas next season.

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