These dream trade targets would make a great Dallas Cowboys offseason even better.
The biggest move this offseason for the Dallas Cowboys wasn’t a free agent addition, a trade piece or a draft pick. Sure, they did well in adding talent on the open market and the draft this year but that’s not where we will see the most change for this team in the 2020 NFL season.
Instead, that change is going to come on the sidelines as they decided to move on from head coach Jason Garrett after 10 seasons — and three before that as the offensive coordinator. Garrett entered 2019 as a lame-duck coach with a talented roster but no security and everyone who was paying attention could see he was on the way out. Everyone, that is, except for Garrett.
Defiant to the end, Garrett remained at the team’s facility while the front office interviewed his replacement. In the end, they went with Mike McCarthy and Garrett finally moved on. McCarthy, the former head coach of the Green Bay Packers, won a Super Bowl in AT&T Stadium and now hopes to find even more success there.
He has the roster to get it done as the Cowboys have Pro Bowl players on both sides of the ball. Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, DeMarcus Lawrence and Jaylon Smith are just some of the stars who are being joined by a great rookie class led by CeeDee Lamb.
Dallas could be fielding one of their best rosters in years but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t stand to add more talent before starting training camp. If they were in the market for help, they could look for one of these three dream fits via trade.
3. Kyle Rudolph, Tight End
Dallas had another big change this offseason as they allowed Jason Witten to leave in free agency and they decided to give Blake Jarwin a lofty extension. Jarwin’s now poised to be the starter for the foreseeable future in Big D, but he remains a bit of an unknown. For that reason, it wouldn’t be awful to see someone else come in and fill out the depth chart there.
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One possibility would be to see if the Minnesota Vikings are willing to part with Kyle Rudolph. Minnesota recently drafted Irv Smith, Jr. which has led to speculation that Rudolph could be on the way out. And now, Adam Carlson of The Viking Age says there could be more proof his time with the Vikings is coming to a close soon as he recently listed his massive home for sale.
"The bigger question is what this sale might mean for Kyle Rudolph’s career with the Minnesota Vikings. Recently, The Viking Age speculated about the future of Rudolph in purple and gold and this listing adds more fuel to the fire of those who believe he may be on his way out the door in Minnesota."
A former second-round pick, Rudolph saw his targets drop from 82 in 2018 to just 48 this past season. He was still a weapon in the red zone with six touchdowns on just 39 catches and 367 yards.
At this point in their careers, Jarwin is the more explosive player but Rudolph’s a superior run blocker and his proficiency near the goal line would be very welcome on the Dallas roster.
2. Ryan Kerrigan, EDGE
This offseason, the Washington Redskins landed a new head coach in Ron Rivera. The defensive-minded coach rose to prominence as the defensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears and then made it to the Super Bowl following a 15-1 campaign in 2015 as the Carolina Panthers head coach. Now, he takes over a team that will feature second-year pass rusher Montez Sweat and the No. 2 overall pick Chase Young.
Having those two young edge rushers gives them one of the best combinations in the NFL and it also leaves veteran Ryan Kerrigan on the outside looking in. A former first-round pick himself, Kerrigan is coming off the lowest sack total of his career after having just 5.5 in 12 games played. It was also the only time in his nine-year career that he missed any time.
Kerrigan enters 2020 with 140 starts in 140 career games and if he is going to continue to start week in and week out, he might need to do so on another team. And in Dallas, he very well could do that opposite DeMarcus Lawrence.
Right now, Dallas looks prepared to start Tyrone Crawford with Aldon Smith as a low-risk, high-reward reserve. Adding Kerrigan to the mix gives them a more proven player which would also allow Crawford to move around the line more, something he has done well throughout his career.
The real question is whether or not the Redskins would trade Kerrigan within the division. Chances are they wouldn’t, but it has happened before. Should Dallas be able to swing something here, it would vastly improve their defensive line.
1. Malik Hooker, Safety
Earlier this year, the Indianapolis Colts decided not to pick up the fifth-year option on safety Malik Hooker, which was a bit of a surprise. Taken at No. 15 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, Hooker has been a playmaker when he’s on the field. The problem is, he’s missed a lot of time.
And ESPN’s Mike Wells believes that the durability concerns have a lot to do with why the Colts didn’t pick up Hooker’s option beyond the 2020 season.
"Hooker, the first draft pick by general manager Chris Ballard in 2017, had his rookie season cut short after just seven games when he suffered a torn ACL and MCL against Jacksonville. Hooker recovered quickly enough to play in 14 games the next season. Injuries slowed him again last season, as Hooker missed three games with a torn meniscus."
Wells also believes Julian Blackmon, who is coming off a torn ACL himself, could be the replacement for Hooker. If there’s any truth to the team wanting to move on from the Ohio State product, Dallas should be interested to see what it would take to land him.
For years, Dallas has struggled at safety and while the signing of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix helps, they could still use another game-changer — and Hooker is exactly that when he’s on the field.
In his three seasons, Hooker already has seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries. His ability to break on the ball and create turnovers is what made him stand out with the Buckeyes and is also why Dallas should be interested.
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They could also land a former top-15 pick for a reasonable price, something this front office has loved doing in the past.