In just a few days the Dallas Cowboys will be taking hedge trimmers to the 90-man roster in hopes of forming it into a beautifully constructed 53-man roster that they’ll put on display for the rest of the NFL. With the 2019 squad looking like the deepest team of the Jason Garrett-era, the front office decision-makers have been fielding calls for their offensive and defensive line; arguably their two deepest positions.
Speaking at the Dallas Cowboys annual Kickoff Luncheon, Stephen Jones mentioned that the Dallas Cowboys have been fielding calls from other teams about their players in the trenches.
Cowboys VP Stephen Jones says they have been getting trade calls about their offensive and defensive linemen. “I think there’s a possibility for sure that we could move somebody.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 28, 2019
While it’s important to listen to offers on your players because you never know who’s going to give you great value for a backup offensive or defensive linemen, this is a season where the Dallas Cowboys should hold steady with that depth. They’re a team on the cusp of contending for a Super Bowl and a lack of depth could alter their chances of hoisting their sixth Lombardi Trophy.
The offensive line looks to be a strength once again as they return four of their five, week one starters from 2018 and Travis Frederick is back in the lineup after sitting 2018 out due to Guillen-Barre Syndrome. The Dallas Cowboys won’t consider trading one of their starting offensive linemen, even La’el Collins who’s on an expiring contract.
They won’t be trading Xavier Su’a-Filo either. He was solid for the Cowboys when playing for Connor Williams or Zack Martin in 2018. His experience and ability to play both guard spots is helpful, especially as Martin’s been dealing with a back issue late in training camp. Su’a-Filo certainly isn’t an All-Pro caliber guard but he’s a veteran that can give you some snaps or a few games and help your team win.
Where the Dallas Cowboys can make some moves along the offensive line are with guys they hope can clear waivers to get to the practice squad. Players like Brandon Knight, Mitch Hyatt, or Jake Campos at tackle may be of interest to other teams.
On the defensive line, the name on the trade block that everyone seems to be talking about is Taco Charlton, the Dallas Cowboys’ first-round pick from 2017. Charlton has underachieved his draft position through his first two seasons in the NFL but as he showed in the third preseason game, he still has a lot of potential. After his success last Saturday night, I get the feeling that the Dallas Cowboys would rather give him another year to develop than move him for what would likely be a fifth-round pick. It would be a hard pill to swallow for the Dallas Cowboys front office to make that move after they’ve been so good at drafting the last few years. Since 2011, they’ve been really good in the first round of the draft, with Charlton being their only error to this point.
During training camp, Kerry Hyder looked to be another name that could end up on the trade block as preseason progressed. However, he’s been so good the last couple of preseason games, their’s zero chance they move him unless blown away by an offer.
Where they could make a move or is with Christian Covington. Covington has been pretty good during the preseason. Through three games, he has the highest pass-rush grade among interior defensive linemen per Pro Football Focus. Ricky Walker, who has also been getting snaps along the defensive interior has the 12th highest grade among interior defensive linemen this preseason. The Dallas Cowboys could opt to keep Walker on the 53-man roster if the right trade came along for Covington. It would be banking on Walker’s development, but if they can get a draft pick for Covington without losing much dropoff then that’s a trade they should pull the trigger on.
With the defensive and offensive line depth that the Dallas Cowboys have they have some difficult decisions to make this weekend. The Cowboys could be attempting to drum up some business by letting it be known they’re fielding calls for that depth. After all, it’s negotiation season. More often than not, what a team shares with the media has a purpose in mind.
Though the Dallas Cowboys have some tradeable assets, don’t expect them to trade a starter or a highly valued contributor. Even though they could porbably get something fo value for one of their starters, they’re in a position to make a run in the NFC. As the season drags on and injuries begin to take their toll, that depth becomes vitally important to a contender. And heading into week one of the NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys are a legit contender.
