Cowboys 4 Trade Targets Leaked; Is Deadline A Jerry Jones Trap?

The Dallas Cowboys were 3-4 in 2018, with the NFL’s 29th-ranked passing offense, when they traded a first-round pick for Amari Cooper.

He caught 53 passes for 725 yards and six touchdowns in nine games. Dallas lost its next game, fell to 3-5, then went 7-1 over its final eight games and reached the playoffs.

Cooper went on to become a two-time Pro Bowler in Dallas and led the team in receiving yards in each of his first three seasons.

The Jonathan Mingo trade came at 3-5, too, but Dallas was in a very different spot ... because Dak Prescott had already been sidelined by a hamstring injury that would end his season.

The Cowboys sent Carolina a fourth-round pick for Mingo and a seventh, taking a chance on a former second-round pick who had 12 catches for 121 yards in nine games.

He finished with five catches for 46 yards in eight games as a Cowboy and hasn't made much of an impact since his acquisition.

Now Dallas is back at 3-5 after Sunday’s overtime loss to Arizona.

The Cowboys blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead. In overtime, Josh Sweat sacked Dak Prescott on third down and forced a punt. Arizona kicked the winning field goal on its next drive.

Before the game, Nick Harris reported that Dallas was looking for pass-rusher help and had discussed Sweat, Pittsburgh’s Alex Highsmith, Washington’s K’Lavon Chaisson and Tampa Bay’s YaYa Diaby.

READ MORE: Cowboys At Trade Deadline: Jerry Jones To 'Keep Eyes Open' As Deadline Buyer

The Cowboys were making calls before Sunday’s collapse ... but the question has become whether any of these players is worth the price.

Sweat ended Dallas’ overtime possession. He has three sacks through eight games and would give the Cowboys another established edge rusher opposite Rashan Gary.

Arizona is reportedly seeking a high Day 2 pick. Realistically, the cost shouldn't be more than a fourth-rounder for a player with three sacks this season given Dallas' rest-of-season outlook.

Highsmith has the strongest case of the four. He has 3.5 sacks, and his run defense has graded well. His price is likely in the second- or third-round range.

A third is the most I’d consider. Even then, Dallas would be paying a premium to improve one part of a team that just gave up a two-score lead at home. 

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Chaisson has 3.5 sacks, too, but he’s on a one-year, $11 million deal. That makes him a rental unless Dallas plans to extend him. He could help the rotation; he isn’t a reason to buy. The ceiling is a conditional sixth-round pick.

Diaby’s three sacks all came in one game. He now has a Grade 2 MCL sprain and is expected to miss time.

And given the state of the franchise, you cannot trade for an injured player as a main deadline addition. Even healthy, I wouldn’t go beyond a fifth-round pick.

With the injury, he’s off my list.

There are other names, of course. We all know about the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby. ESPN has mentioned Jets edge Kingsley Enagbare. Someone mentioned the Saints’ Cam Jordan and Chase Young. And on and on we can go …

But …

If one of these players — outside of the injured Diaby — can inflict legitimate, positive, and most importantly, at this point, victorious change at a price Dallas can live with, make the deal.

If the pitch is that the Cowboys need to do something? That's a dangerous trap, so just keep the pick. They’ve already seen what that kind of deadline move gets them.