The Dallas Cowboys are 3-5 before Tuesday’s trade deadline. The Cowboys are entering Week 10 on a three-game losing streak. The Cowboys’ record might not look like one that should be buying at the trade deadline, but owner Jerry Jones hinted Sunday afternoon that the team could make a trade following Dallas’ 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Jerry Jones hinted at a Dallas Cowboys trade this week
Per The Athletic’s Jon Machota, Jones said the Cowboys wouldn’t make a trade for a player similar to what Dallas traded for in 2018 when they added Amari Cooper but suggested a move might be coming.
“We got a shot, we think, to improve our roster,” Jones said.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones when asked if he’s thinking about making a significant trade like he did to get Amari Cooper in 2018: “Don’t look for those kinds of things.”
But he added: “We got a shot, we think, to improve our roster.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 3, 2024
CeeDee Lamb has an injury
The Cowboys could be looking for help at wide receivers following CeeDee Lamb’s injury against the Falcons. Per ESPN’s Todd Archer, Lamb suffered an AC joint injury and will have an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.
Lamb is key to the offense. He has 45 receptions for 613 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. Replacing him in the trade market is impossible, but as Jones hinted, the team can find a player to improve the receiver corps amid Lamb’s injury.
Frankly, the Cowboys were short at receiver before Lamb’s injury. Jalen Tolbert is the team’s WR2, with 334 yards receiving and two touchdowns. KaVontae Turpin has the third-most-receiving yards (145) for a wide receiver. Those stats are troubling for a team that is the worst at rushing in the league.
Adam Thielen to the Cowboys?
The Carolina Panthers are 2-7 at the trade deadline. The Panthers traded Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens last week. Carolina has one more veteran receiver they should shop before Tuesday, and he could benefit the Cowboys.
Adam Thielen has just eight receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown in the three games he’s played in. He’s working his way back from a hamstring injury that put him on injured reserve. (The two-time Pro Bowl receiver has 656 receptions for 7,805 yards and 60 touchdowns in his 11-year NFL career.)
The 34-year-old receiver had a 1,000+ yard receiving season in 2023, so he should still be helpful on a team with Dak Prescott as its quarterback.
Per Over the Cap, the Cowboys have $20 million to spend for the remainder of the season. They could easily afford to take on Thielen’s salary, as the All-Pro signed a three-year deal worth $25 million in the 2023 offseason.
The Cowboys need outside help to start winning games if they hope to make the playoffs, something Jones pretty much promised the fanbase when he said Dallas would be “all-in” for the 2024 season. The Cowboys next contests are against the 6-2 Philadelphia Eagles, 6-3 Houston Texans, and 7-2 Washington Commanders.
Sending a Day 3 pick to the Panthers for Thielen could keep the Cowboys in the playoff chase past Thanksgiving.
