As training camps have gotten underway in the NFL, it really is the time for teams to check their rosters and make a couple of moves before the new season truly gets underway. The irony for the Dallas Cowboys is that owner Jerry Jones had expressed that the team was ‘all in’ for the upcoming season, but the franchise has had little to no activity during the offseason.
There is still time, of course, but it seems that the Cowboys have been stalling on everything be it contract extensions for their key players, signing free agents, or venturing into trades. Things have just not moved as they should have up to this point.
With that, let us take a look at four potential trade targets the Cowboys should pursue this year.
Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears
The running back room for the Cowboys is not one to be too excited about. Ezekiel Elliott has returned after one season in New England, but he has been on a downward trend, and his past couple of years have been relatively disappointing.
After Elliott, Dallas has Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn, both of whom are devoid of experience, although Dowdle has been in the league for four years now. Injuries have been a major problem for him, while Vaughn will be entering just his second year in the league.
The addition of Khalil Herbert seems to be one Dallas could pursue, as he has enough experience under his belt and is now third on the Chicago Bears’ depth chart behind D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson.
Khalil Davis, DL, Houston Texans
Khalil Davis was part of the 2023 Houston Texans defensive line that had an excellent year. The Texans should ideally remain strong in that department, as most of their starting players have returned to the team.
Additionally, the Texans also signed former Bills defensive tackle, Tim Settle, who looks to have snatched the backup tackle position in Houston behind Foley Fatukasi.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, could use some reinforcements on their defensive line which at the moment is banking on Mazi Smith to have a big year after a letdown in 2023. However, one more veteran at the position could improve the team’s overall defense.
Elijah Moore, WR, Cleveland Browns
Dallas looks short of depth in their wide receivers room, with CeeDee Lamb as their WR1 and Brandin Cooks holding the WR2 position. After them though, there is no real threat, and another quality receiver would be a huge boost for the Cowboys.
One player they can target is Cleveland Browns receiver Elijah Moore, who is still waiting for his breakout year. As a second-round pick from the 2021 NFL draft, Moore has yet to produce the numbers and performance expected of him.
The situation in Cleveland looks as if Moore may slip further down the pecking order, as the Browns already have Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy as their top pass catchers this year.
Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Sticking with the wide receivers room, another player worth mentioning is the Baltimore Ravens wideout Rashod Bateman. Now, this move may not be as easy as it sounds, especially since he is supposed to be an important piece in the Baltimore offense.
However, Bateman has also had injury problems and is yet to break out in his three-year NFL career. As things stand at the moment, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Bateman also do not have much chemistry together due to their injury breaks, which means Baltimore may be open for a trade.
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