There’s been quite a bit of talk about the Dallas Cowboys potentially be interested in trading for this player or that prior to the NFL trade deadline on November 4 in order to help improve their defensive performance this year. While it’s always fun to speculate as to which new toy they could potentially add via trade, we’re taking the opposite approach today and looking at a handful of players they could consider trading away.
This, of course, is all speculation as there hasn’t been any kind of rumblings within the organization or outside of it, but we decided to take a look at players who could potentially be expendable in Dallas. We aren’t including George Pickens as he could be in the Cowboys future plans next year on either a long-term contract or franchise tag.
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WR Jalen Tolbert
Playing on an expiring contract this year, the Cowboys may try to move WR Jalen Tolbert prior to the November 4 trade deadline. This year with the new coaching regime. he has been kind of buried on the depth chart ever since the acquisition of George Pickens prior to the start of the season. With Ryan Flournoy and possibly Jonathan Mingo capable of stepping into his role, he could be expendable. Coming off the 2024 season when he caught 49 passes for 610 yards and seven touchdowns, he could be an affordable option for teams looking for WR help.
TE Luke Schoonmaker
With Jake Ferguson locked up on a long-term extension and with Brevyn Spann-Ford continuing to prove he’s more than capable of being his primary backup, Luke Schoonmaker seems to be expendable. Dallas’ second-round pick in 2023 has shown flashes of being a competent tight end since entering the league, but also has struggled with injuries. With him playing the rest of this season and the next one still on his rookie contract, he could be a young, cheap option with upside teams around the league looking for more TE help.
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C/G Brock Hoffman
Brock Hoffman has proven himself a capable starting-caliber interior offensive lineman during his time with the Cowboys, but is entering the final year of his rookie contract. With Cooper Beebe set to return to take over the starting job, Hoffman would now be relegated to backup duty once again. Teams looking for interior OL help with C/G position flex could be interested in acquiring him via trade. That would leave T.J. Bass as Dallas’ primary C/G backup the remainder of the season, but he too has been a pretty solid injury fill-in when called upon.
DT Mazi Smith
Like his former Michigan alumni Taco Charlton, Mazi Smith has been another first-round bust for the Cowboys. He’s fallen out of favor with the new coaching regime this year so much that he’s only played 16.15% of the teams defensive snaps through Week 8. His former first-round draft status could entice another team to part with a future late-round pick to attempt to tap into his talent. Any team the trades for him would have him under his rookie contract for the next season and a half before his fifth-year option comes up.
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DE Dante Fowler
A veteran pass rusher who had 10.5 QB sacks last year with the Commanders, Dante Fowler could be an intriguing trade option for teams around the league who don’t want to pay a premium price. The 31-year-old has been a rotational player with the Cowboys this year, playing 37.75% of the teams defensive snaps so far this season. So far through the first eight weeks of the season he’s only accumulated one QB sack and hasn’t been the impact player Dallas was likely hoping for. If traded, the Cowboys’ pass rush production probably wouldn’t change much.
