The Dallas Cowboys haven't always been the most aggressive team when it comes to team building.
However, they have also made a blockbuster trade before, with their deal to acquire Amari Cooper in 2018 from the Raiders.
And according to Sporting News, it might be time to make another big-time move to get them back into the race for the NFC East.
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In the proposed deal, the Cowboys would send their No. 76 overall pick in the third round of this year's NFL Draft, as well as a 2026 third-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for none other than superstar running back Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey, of course, is coming off of a season in which he played just four games due to Achilles tendonitis and a torn PCL. That said, when healthy, he is still one of the top offensive weapons in the NFL.
In 2023, McCaffrey had a dominant season with San Francisco, rushing 272 times for 1,459 yards and 14 scores, while catching 67 passes for 564 ytards and seven more touchdowns. That season he earned his fourth All-Pro nod and third Pro Bowl selection, and was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey runs the football against Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey runs the football against Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Of course, this all hinges on a couple of different factors, the first being whether or not the 49ers are even open to trading their best offensive player in the first place. But given the way they have chosen to purge their roster this offseason, it doesn't seem unfathomable that McCaffrey could be next.
In fact, San Francisco 49ers On SI recently reported that McCaffrey could be moved, even as late as in mid season by the NFL Trade Deadline. On the other side, the move makes sense for the Cowboys due to their major need for a difference-maker at the position.
Outside of that, however, it is largely a questionable idea for a variety of reasons from the Dallas perspective. The first reason being, that Dallas is tied up trying to figure out the future of their own superstar Micah Parsons, who has yet to sign an extension and has been mentioned in trade rumors for quite some time. Not to mention a pending deal for cornerback DaRon Bland as well.
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Dallas also, despite the Cooper trade in 2018, does not have a true history of being aggressive in the trade market for players like McCaffrey. That is especially true considering the price tag he would come with at $19 million per year.
Either way, it seems unlikely that Dallas would take on an aging and consistently injury prone player at a position that they have not historically placed a lot of value in in past seasons.
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