Cowboys Trade Deadline: 5 Players Dallas Should Consider Moving
The Dallas Cowboys should start taking calls.
At 3–5, Dallas can still chase the division. It can also listen to offers for players whose futures with the team are uncertain. Those decisions do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Jerry Jones has said the Cowboys are not looking to sell. But keeping the roster together is only worthwhile if the organization has a convincing plan for what comes next.
Cowboys Trade Deadline: 5 Players Dallas Should Consider Moving
George Pickens, DaRon Bland, Jake Ferguson, T.J. Bass, and Kenny Clark present different opportunities—and different complications. The following trade packages are editorial proposals, not reported offers or confirmed asking prices.
1. George Pickens Should Command the Biggest Return
Pickens should be the most expensive player on this list.
Dan Graziano and Ian Rapoport have indicated that Dallas is unlikely to trade him. Keeping him makes sense if the Cowboys intend to pursue a long-term agreement. If they do not, refusing to listen would be harder to justify.
Kansas City and the Los Angeles Rams offer intriguing possibilities. Pickens could give Patrick Mahomes another receiver capable of winning contested throws, while Sean McVay could use his downfield ability to stretch opposing defenses.
AtoZ Sports proposed hypothetical packages involving both teams, including Pickens and a fourth-round selection to Kansas City for the first. Another scenario sent him to Los Angeles for a second and a future third.
Dallas should begin by pursuing a first-round return, recognizing that additional draft compensation might need to accompany Pickens. A second and a fourth for Pickens, and a fifth would offer another negotiating framework.
His unresolved contract could discourage buyers from paying that much. It should not persuade Dallas to accept a bargain offer for one of its most talented players.
Nov 1, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) runs with the ball during the game between the Cardinals and the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
2. DaRon Bland’s Contract Makes Him a Difficult Sell
The Cowboys invested in Bland to provide stability at cornerback. His place in their plans should not be protected simply because that investment was expensive.
Blogging The Boys included Bland among its proposed trade candidates, questioning whether his play and contract would leave much of a market.
That is the difficulty Dallas would face. Another team must believe it can get enough from Bland to justify taking on the remaining obligations.
His four-year, $92 million extension was followed by a September restructure. Trading him would not erase the cap consequences of the money Dallas has already paid.
A conditional fifth-round pick that could become a fourth would be a starting proposal. Even that would depend heavily on the financial terms.
Dallas should listen rather than assume that his contract makes him untouchable. Releasing him is a separate question, and without a clear savings calculation, it would be premature to recommend cutting him.
3. Jake Ferguson Has Not Delivered Enough
Ferguson’s receiving production gives Dallas a concrete reason to question its return on investment.
Through eight games, he has 17 receptions for 115 yards and three touchdowns. The touchdowns matter, but 115 yards is not enough consistent receiving impact from a player that Dallas rewarded with a significant extension.
FantasyData lists 25 targets and 6.8 yards per reception. Limited opportunities help explain the totals, but the modest production per catch also shows how little the passing game is getting from those opportunities.
His ankle injury against Arizona belongs in that assessment. It does not explain the entire season.
The Cowboys signed Ferguson to a four-year, $52 million extension and restructured the agreement in September. They paid for a dependable offensive contributor. So far, his receiving output has fallen short of that expectation.
A fourth-round pick would be an opening ask, with a conditional fifth as a possible alternative. His health, remaining guarantees, and Dallas’ cap consequences would determine whether either proposal is worth pursuing.
The Cowboys should not sell him cheaply because their offense has struggled to involve him. But his contract should not shield him from scrutiny, either.
Oct 18, 2026; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (87) runs the ball against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
4. T.J. Bass Could Turn Depth Into Draft Capital
Bass offers a more straightforward case.
He signed a one-year, $5.76 million restricted free-agent tender in March. Dallas retained an experienced guard without securing his services beyond this season.
A team seeking immediate offensive line help could value him more than a team using him primarily as depth. If Dallas does not expect to bring him back, that difference creates an opportunity.
A fifth-round selection would be a sensible opening proposal. A sixth could still deserve consideration, depending on the Cowboys’ confidence in their remaining reserves.
Losing reliable depth carries risk. So does passing on compensation for a player who may pursue a larger role elsewhere.
5. Kenny Clark Should Be Available at the Right Price
Clark’s connection to the Micah Parsons trade should not determine whether he stays.
Marcus Mosher included Clark among players Dallas should consider selling, estimating Day 3 compensation. A fifth-round pick would fit that broad assessment, with a conditional selection offering another possible structure.
Clark could still help a team seeking experience inside its defensive front. Dallas should be willing to discuss that possibility rather than keep him because of how he arrived.
His contract runs through 2028 and was restructured in September. That makes the financial details essential: a late pick would not automatically justify taking on unfavorable cap consequences.
If the numbers work and Dallas prefers a different future rotation, moving Clark would be a reasonable step.
The Last Word
The Cowboys should approach the deadline willing to move players, not determined to move all five.
Pickens would require a substantial return. Bass presents a clearer opportunity to exchange an expiring contract for a draft selection. Bland, Ferguson, and Clark involve commitments that could make a poor trade worse than keeping them.
One win over Indianapolis would not resolve those questions. Another loss would not justify accepting whatever another team offers.
Dallas needs to identify which players it wants beyond this season and negotiate accordingly. Selective sales can support that plan without preventing the remaining roster from competing. Refusing every conversation would leave the Cowboys with fewer ways to improve.
More NFL News