Sources: Cowboys trying to trade Everson Griffen, no takers yet

Unnamed sources indicate the Dallas Cowboys are trying to trade Everson Griffen

Coming off an embarrassing 25-3 blowout loss to the Washington Football Team on Sunday, the 2-5 Dallas Cowboys figure to be active before the NFL trade deadline next Tuesday in an attempt to salvage their spiraling season.

After all, a trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper changed the team’s destiny back in 2018. The Cowboys started that season 3-4 before sending their future first-round selection to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for the Pro Bowl wideout during the team’s bye week.

Cooper’s arrival in Dallas sparked the Cowboys to win seven of their following nine regular-season games. Their 10-6 record was good enough to win the division and a playoff berth, which led to a postseason victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the Wildcard Round.

Despite possessing a similar midseason record, the trajectory of the 2020 version of America’s Team has been much darker. That following a flurry of season-ending injuries that have left the Cowboys without several key starters, chief among them being quarterback Dak Prescott. And the defense in Dallas is threatening to be one of the worst in NFL history.

And while the Cowboys’ brass and coaching staff continue to toe the company line about not making any major changes and staying the course, sources have told ESPN’s Todd Archer that the team has attempted to trade one of their pass rushers recently. That player being defensive end Everson Griffen.

"“Multiple sources said the Cowboys have shopped [Everson] Griffen, who had a sack against Washington, but have not found any takers. Would the Cowboys be better served to keep playing Griffen, who is on a one-year deal that has $3 million in guarantees, or develop fifth-round pick Bradlee Anae, who was inactive for the first time with the return of Randy Gregory from suspension?”"

While Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has recently indicated that his team is more likely to add players to their roster before the Tuesday, Nov. 3 trade deadline, this report seems to suggest the opposite. And while there may be no takers as of yet, that could change quickly as injuries mount and the trade deadline approaches.

In seven games without a single start, Griffen has recorded 20 total tackles and 2.5 sacks for Dallas. The Cowboys have a plethora of healthy pass rushers including DeMarcus Lawrence, Aldon Smith, Randy Gregory, and Bradlee Anae. So Griffen being the odd man out makes sense as a possible trade commodity considering he’s a four-time Pro Bowler coming off an 8.0 sack season in 2019.

But if the Dallas Cowboys are going to attempt to force a turnaround like the one they saw back in 2018, they’ll need to do more than trade away Everson Griffen. Unfortunately, the Cowboys’ roster is missing several key pieces due to injury, something that will likely not be solved via trades. But perhaps finding another Amari Cooper-type addition can be the spark this team needs to win an underwhelming NFC East division this year.