The Dallas Cowboys are 3-5-1 following their ugly loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night. Now, the organization’s attention will turn to the Tuesday trade deadline.
With half the season in the books, it’s clear the Cowboys have an elite offense and an abysmal defense. Out of respect for Dallas’ normally high-flying offense, the team needs to aggressively pursue defenders ahead of the deadline.
While adding defensive help should be the Cowboys' top priority, they will also have an opportunity to move a defensive starter in a trade that would oddly make sense. The player is Trevon Diggs, whose time in Dallas seems to be nearing an end. If the Cowboys decide to move on from Diggs at the deadline, they could call the Chicago Bears, ask for a fifth-round pick, and Chicago would surely get the deal done.
Cowboys should consider sending Trevon Diggs to Bears ahead of trade deadline
It’s fair to ask why Dallas should consider moving a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback when its defense needs all the help it could get. The reality, though, is that a Cowboys split with Diggs seems inevitable.
The corner’s relationship seemingly soured with the organization as he watched the Micah Parsons saga unfold, and between Diggs’ health and inconsistent play, Dallas is unlikely to commit to the remaining three years and roughly $62.8 million on his contract. That means a trade, either at the deadline or during the offseason, is on the table.
If the Cowboys are interested in getting it done now, they will have several options for trade partners. The Bears would be one of the top options for several reasons. For starters, Chicago is 5-3 after nine weeks and believes it’s capable of being a contender. For that to happen, the Bears need to be better in the secondary, and that was evident on Sunday as Chicago allowed Joe Flacco to erupt for 470 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Beyond the Bears' weak secondary possibly holding them back, there’s some familiarity in Chicago for Diggs. The Bears' defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator is Al Harris. Harris, of course, played in the league, but he also spent five seasons coaching for the Cowboys. Diggs' best seasons came with Harris as his defensive backs coach, so a reunion may be exactly what the corner needs to get his career back on track.
If Dallas wants to send another one of its defensive stars to the NFC North, the Bears would likely be more than willing to get this deal done.