4 trades the Cowboys should consider before the deadline

Joe Thuney, Offensive Guard – New England Patriots

Perhaps it’s too early to call the Cowboys’ selections of both Connor Williams and Connor McGovern draft disappointments. But the left guard position continues to be a major area of concern in Dallas.

Williams is currently the starter at left guard but continues to struggle at times. And the Cowboys recent interest in potential signing Ronald Leary before he retired seems to indicate the team is unsettled at the position, perhaps viewing Williams as a better reserve or even the team’s future swing tackle.

And while McGovern is spirituality five games into his rookie season (having played in four games and two offensive snaps) after spending all of last year on the sidelines due to a pectoral injury, the fact he doesn’t even appear to be in contention to help this ailing O-Line is disappointing.

Tyron Smith’s future replacement at left tackle could be in-house, with Brandon Knight appearing as the likely candidate at the moment. Surely the hope is Smith can play out his current contract, which ends in 2024. Yet, his injuries in recent years, including his recent season-ending neck issue, makes the likelihood he plays that long improbable.

Cowboys’ owner and general manager Jerry Jones is a fan of making the team’s strengths even stronger. And before the litany of injuries and the sudden retirement of center Travis Frederick, the offensive line was a strength. Now, it’s a spiraling positional group that is forced to start two undrafted free agents at both tackle positions, one of them being a rookie in Terence Steele.

This group needs a serious shot of talent and experience. And someone like All-Pro guard Joe Thuney would provide that. Set to become a free agent in 2021 after signing the franchise tag this year, Thuney was thought to be a potential trade candidate during the 2020 draft. ESPN even projected that a third-round pick might be enough to obtain him from the Pats.

Adding the 27-year old Thuney, who is already a two-time Super Bowl winner, to a starting lineup that currently consists of Knight at left tackle, Zack Martin at right guard, Steele at right tackle, and rookie Tyler Biadasz at center would give the O-Line a fighting chance. Especially if you can transition either Martin or Williams to right tackle.