6 trades the Cowboys should pursue after the first wave of free agency

The Cowboys have plenty of work to do

The first wave of free agency for the 2024 offseason seems to be reaching a close, and the Cowboys have unsurprisingly done very little. Their only external signing thus far has been veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks, hardly a marquee signing.

As we journey into the second wave of free agency, though, the trade market also begins to pick up some steam. This is an area where the Cowboys have often been more active compared to the free agent pool. With that in mind, here are six players the Cowboys could, and should, pursue via the trade market.

Texans RB Dameon Pierce

Dameon Pierce looked to be a star in the making after his rookie season. The fourth-round pick out of Florida quickly became the bell-cow for the Texans, tallying 939 rushing yards and four touchdowns. His 722 yards after contact ranked 12th among running backs and Pierce had the fourth-most missed tackles forced.

However, Pierce fell out of favor with the new coaching staff, and he was quickly demoted to second on the depth chart in favor of Devin Singletary. On top of that, Houston just traded for Bengals running back Joe Mixon and then promptly extended him for three years, which seems like the nail in the coffin of Pierce’s time in Houston.

While the Cowboys have done some due diligence on a couple free agent running backs, Pierce would be an excellent trade candidate. His running style fits well into this offense and Dallas would have him under contract for two years, with his cap hit never going higher than $1.3 million. Between Pierce’s diminished role in Houston and the Mixon trade, the Cowboys could likely get him for a relatively cheap compensation.

Broncos LT Garett Bolles

The Cowboys officially have a hole at left tackle, as Tyron Smith agreed to terms with the Jets on Friday. There aren’t a whole lot of options on the free agent market, but Dallas could look to acquire Garett Bolles from Denver.

Bolles has been one of the more underrated left tackles in the game as of late, highlighted by his second team All-Pro selection back in 2020. Trade rumors circulated around Bolles last year near the deadline, and the soon-to-be 32 year old is entering the final year of his contract for a Broncos team with no immediate answer at quarterback.

That said, Bolles does have a hefty cap hit for this season, sitting at an even $20 million. Denver would likely have to eat some of that in any trade, which would be a necessity to make this palatable for the Cowboys. Still, though, Bolles would give Dallas an accomplished veteran to protect Dak Prescott’s blind side for the 2024 season.

Commanders LG Chris Paul

After all the Cowboys players that have gone to Washington this free agency period, why not send one of the Commanders players to Dallas? It only seems fair, after all, and guard Chris Paul would make sense for both sides. A rookie a year ago, Paul started the final game of the season at left guard. He also recorded six starts there this season, but it didn’t stop Washington from signing Nick Allegretti last week.

Trading for Paul would carry an extremely low price tag for the Cowboys, and it really only makes sense if the team is planning on moving Tyler Smith out to left tackle. That’s because Paul played his college ball as the left guard for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, right next to Smith at left tackle. What better way to ease Smith back into the left tackle role than to partner him up with his longtime teammate?

Of course, this is no guarantee that Paul would step in and start right away, and he’d likely be one of several names in a competition along this Dallas offensive line. Even if Paul didn’t win a starting job, though, he’d offer valuable depth on top of the relationship he already has with Smith.

Falcons DT David Onyemata

In an effort to bolster a pretty bad defense a year ago, the Falcons made a flurry of free agent signings. That included David Onyemata, who followed defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen from the Saints to the Falcons, signing a pretty hefty deal in the process. But with Nielsen no longer in Atlanta, the Falcons may consider moving on from the 31 year old.

If that’s the case, Dallas would stand to gain a lot from adding Onyemata’s services. Onyemata doesn’t offer jaw-dropping size at roughly 300 pounds, but he does possess strong run-stuffing fundamentals. Only six defensive tackles had a better run defense grade from PFF last year, and Onyemata’s average depth of tackle of 2.1 yards would’ve been second best on the Cowboys last year, behind just Osa Odighizuwa.

Onyemata’s contract is an issue, as he’s set to carry a $12.5 million cap hit next year. That would mean Atlanta would have to eat some of it before Dallas agreed to a trade, but that could end up working out for both sides after the Falcons committed a hefty price to quarterback Kirk Cousins. Additionally, Onyemata’s contract has an out after the 2024 season, effectively making this a one-year rental for Dallas if they should choose to go down that path.

Titans WR Treylon Burks

Michael Gallup’s release makes it official: the Cowboys are in the market for a new WR3. The team is optimistic about Jalen Tolbrert, but not so much that they won’t hedge their bets in other ways. And adding a former first-round pick that the Cowboys themselves were once interested in sounds like the exact type of move this team gravitates towards.

Enter Treylon Burks, the 18th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Titans shocked everyone by trading A.J. Brown and picking Burks to replace him, an impossible expectation to live up to. Burks’ case has only been hurt by a revolving door at both coordinator and quarterback in Tennessee since he came into the league. Now, with the Titans handing out a huge deal for Calvin Ridley to play opposite DeAndre Hopkins, Burks seems like the odd man out.

Coming out of Arkansas, Burks was praised for his size, strength, and competitive spirit. Some poor athletic testing sullied his draft stock, but Burks drew interest from plenty of teams, including Dallas. Swapping a Day 3 pick for the receiver now would be the perfect low-risk gamble to give Burks another shot in a new system.

Falcons LB Troy Andersen

Speaking of players the Cowboys once expressed interest in during previous draft cycles, Troy Andersen could be a sneaky good trade target. The Montana native played quarterback, running back, fullback, and safety before officially settling on linebacker at Montana State, winning Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

That catapulted him to the second round of the draft, where Atlanta scooped him up. But Andersen has hardly seen the field outside of special teams, getting buried on the depth chart behind other names. Now, as the Falcons are welcoming in a third defensive coordinator in the three years Andersen has been there, the linebacker might be viewed as expendable.

Linebacker is an obvious position of need in Dallas, and Andersen could be an ideal fit for Mike Zimmer. Andersen has great size, length, and physicality for what Zimmer often asks of his linebackers. Combine that with the team having previously been interested during the draft, and Andersen might be on their radar once again.