Would the Dallas Cowboys trade Dez Bryant for Demaryius Thomas?

Both the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos have similar problems when it comes to their number one wide receivers. Why not swap them?

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas have a lot in common. The two were selected a single pick apart in the 2010 NFL Draft. They both signed five-year, $70 million contracts on the same day back in 2015. They both rock the #88 and possess similar builds. And both players are expected to be confronted by their respective teams this offseason to take a pay cut.

Unfortunately for Dallas, that’s were the similarities end. In the past three seasons, Bryant has averaged a disappointing 50 receptions per year off of 100 targets per season. Thomas has an average of 93 catches per season for the past three years, off of a 154 targets per.

That makes Bryant’s catch rate 50% since inking his monster deal. Thomas has a 60.3% catch rate during that same span. Another knock on Bryant is his recent injury history, having missed a total of 10 games since 2015. But Thomas hasn’t missed a single contest since 2011.

Where Bryant excels over Thomas, however, is scoring. Dez has a career total of 73 receiving touchdowns off of 531 receptions. In comparison, Demaryius has posted 57 touchdowns off of 629 catches. So Bryant is clearly the more prolific scorer.

At the end of the day, both receivers have their pluses and minuses. And both seemed to have fallen out of favor with their respective teams, resulting in a possible exit this offseason. So why not swap them? In a trade, the Bronco’s get a passionate Dez Bryant to reignite their locker room while the Cowboys get the stability of a Demaryius Thomas to help grow young quarterback Dak Prescott.

I know it sounds crazy. And it may not be a clean trade, with the Broncos likely needing more than just Bryant in the deal to justify making the move. But Dallas expects to receive a boatload of compensatory draft selections in March that are tradeable. And both receivers could certainly benefit from a new environment.

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The Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos have major concerns swirling around their top wide outs this offseason. And the question has been raised, how can one justify releasing a number one receiver when they don’t grow on trees? Well, how about swapping them instead? So, would the Cowboys trade Dez Bryant for Demaryius Thomas? Who knows. Would you?