NFL Trade Deadline Hopes, Trade Assets, Dak Prescott

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, there will be plenty of rumors floating around the league. However, for the Dallas Cowboys, any rumors can be just that and that only. But there’s always a little hope that Dallas will make moves to bring in a big name or send an underperforming team in an attempt to improve that team. In fact, most Cowboys fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath when it comes to Jerry Jones.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones gave fans a small glimmer of hope just days before the November 5 trade deadline. While Jones’ words sound good, that’s all they are. Actions will speak much louder, especially since nothing usually happens on that front in Dallas.

“We will carry on with business as usual. We have a lot of good players coming back over the next 3 or 4 weeks,” said Stephen Jones. “If the right deal comes along, we will definitely look at it.”

Although Jones stated this in a low-key manner so as not to raise too much expectations among fans, the message is different from the usual “we’re happy with what we have” message that Jerry Jones usually conveys. It’s clear that this team doesn’t have what it takes to compete right now, but Jerry either can’t admit it or doesn’t realize it.

Dallas has holes in the backfield, offensive line and wide receiver to fill, and that’s just on offense. They need help, but (Jerry) Jones is too stubborn to admit what he missed and fix the problem.

At this point, anyone other than Dak Prescott could be on the trade block, and the only reason the quarterback wouldn’t be on the block would be for a new contract. Other than that, no one should be safe, but there are a few names you might hear as the deadline approaches.

Zack Martin, Osa Odighizuwa and Trey Lance are names that could gain attention in the next few days. All for different reasons, but these names can attract attention.

For a former All-Pro, Martin is clearly past his prime, although he still has some left in the tank. The offensive line hasn’t been good this year, and moving on from the 33-year-old Martin will free up cap space and potentially net a decent draft pick. These will likely be mid-to-late round draft picks, but the Cowboys aren’t in a position to be very picky.

As for Odighizuwa, he has been one of the bright spots on defense this season and could attract good draft capital at 26 years old. Nobody wants to trade good up-and-coming players, but if you can replace them with one or two prospects of equal or greater talent, it might be worth it in the long run.

When it comes to Trey Lance, there isn’t much to say. Last year, Jerry traded a fourth-round pick to San Francisco for Lance, and that’s where the story begins and essentially ends. Outside of some preseason snaps, there aren’t many realistic scenarios for Lance to take the field in the regular season as long as Dak remains healthy. On top of that, Lance isn’t even a QB2, he’s an emergency third string defender. It’s time to admit it was a mistake, grab what you can and move on.

Jerry Jones isn’t a fan of the way his QB runs the ball a lot, especially after a leg injury caused Prescott to miss most of the 2020 campaign. Some called for Dak to return to running the ball like he did earlier in his career. However, even barring injury, many QBs tend to run less as they age in the league and gain more experience.

“You really don’t want to see him really take off with that ball,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan. “These quarterbacks that run, you know they’re going to get hurt. This happens. It happens to the youngest and the best. This happened to Duck.”

“As we look to him to stay healthy, that’s an important part,” Jones said. “I wouldn’t say it’s written in red letters on the property that he shouldn’t run, but I would say we want him to be smart about this issue. And he’s doing it smart. However, he will do it when he sees an opportunity, take it and run with it – as we know.”

Jones produces good results because playing the QB position opens you up to more hits and potential injuries. But the fact that the Cowboys rely so heavily on Prescott is one of the reasons why they have struggled this season. The rest of the offense isn’t getting the job done, and it’s become an unbearable burden on Prescott’s shoulders.