Should the Dallas Cowboys trade up in the 2019 NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft is right around the corner, and teams should have a clear sight of where they’re going. Should the Dallas Cowboys be eyeing a move up?
After signing DeMarcus Lawrence to a long-term deal, the Dallas Cowboys focus the entirety of their attention on the NFL draft. Going into this draft without a first round pick, should the Cowboys be looking to move up for higher picks?
Simply put, no. There are tons of reasons that can be analyzed in making the case, but there are three in particular that stand out above others.
The Cost
When in the world of bartering, it often involves the exchange of equal goods. That isn’t quite the case in the sports world as the art of trade has a different dynamic. Particularly in the NFL draft, where there are multiple rounds, trading can mean paying quite hefty prices.
Dallas cannot afford to make any trades. The most apparent reason that they would look to move up is the exact phenomena in play here. The Amari Cooper trade, which was worth the price, saw the Cowboys ship off this year’s first round pick. If they were to trade up, it would undoubtedly cost them one of their later picks in this draft or a future pick.
If you went the player route, the Cowboys don’t really have any trade pieces that entice you. Their best players on offense are Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, and Dak Prescott, but it is almost certain that neither of the three will be moved.
Some would argue that the best Cowboys defender just signed a contract for 100 million dollars, Tank Lawrence. Some would even argue that their best defender doesn’t get the name recognition because teams tried to phase him out of the game plan by not throwing his way last season in corner back Byron Jones.
Considering last year and what most saw while watching the games, the best players on defense are arguably the two young linebackers, Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith. That’s just it though, they have cornerstone defenders on each of three levels, but that also inevitably means that none of them are likely to be traded. How could they afford to trade anybody though?