Why the Cowboys should go all-in on a trade for Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy

While the Dallas Cowboys have made some tremendous moves at the start of free agency, they’ve yet to address one of the roster’s most glaring holes: wide receiver.

The receiver position has been a big need for Dallas dating back to before the start of last season. The team failed to address the position properly last year, and so far they’ve yet to do so again. And now with the departures of Noah Brown and T.Y. Hilton, the Cowboys are technically in a worse spot with the position than they were in last year.

Dallas has to make a move for a receiver but to be honest, I’m not too keen on what’s left in the free agent market. A 32-year-old Adam Thielen or overpriced Odell Beckham Jr. doesn’t exactly have me gleaming with excitement.

Their only other options are to wait for the NFL Draft, in which they own thee No. 26 overall pick, or make a trade. There’s certainly some talent at the receiver position in this year’s draft class, but there’s no guarantee any top targets will fall that late in the first.

I’m in the camp of Dallas needing to make a trade if they want to sure up their receiving corp. The Cowboys have already been mentioned in trade rumors for two high-profile veteran wide receivers in Brandin Cooks and DeAndre Hopkins. Both would be incredible additions to the team and would provide some much-needed help opposite Ceedee Lamb.

But now there’s a third possible name in the mix. The Denver Broncos are reportedly listening to trade offers for Jeudy, as well as Courtland Sutton and KJ Hamler. The only name I’m genuinely interested in from that list though is Jeudy, who could be had for a first-round pick, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.

Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy is a perfect trade target for the Cowboys

Jeudy was selected by Denver with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft — two picks ahead of Dallas’ pick of Ceedee Lamb at No. 17. Although the asking price for Jeudy is high, Dallas absolutely needs to go all-in on a trade for him.

The 23-year-old Jeudy is coming off a career season in which he caught 67 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns. He was the lone bright spot on a Broncos team that had a historically bad offense that averaged less than 17 points per game.

For those who haven’t had a chance to watch Jeudy play, he’s a masterful route runner, comparable to Amari Cooper. His combination of precision route-running and top-end speed allows him to find separation from coverage and gain huge chunks of yardage after the catch. He also has the capability to stretch the field when needed, making him a unique threat that could keep defenses off-balance and take some pressure off CeeDee Lamb.

Although he’s battled through some nagging injuries during his three-year stint in Denver, he finally seems to be coming into his own. Broncos fans finally saw Jeudy flash that first-round talent as he emerged as the team’s No. 1 receiver last season.

If Dallas were to trade for him, they’d have two legitimate No. 1 receivers both under the age of 25 .Not only would that be potentially the best wide receiver duo in the NFC East, but possibly the entire league.

What’s more, he’s affordable right now. Jeudy is currently in the fourth year of his rookie contract and carries just a $2.6 million salary in 2023. Should the team exercise his fifth-year option, his salary only jumps to $13 million. For a cash-strapped Dallas team, where else are they going to find a deal like that?

The big question surrounding a trade like this is what it would cost Dallas. There were reports last year that Dallas actually went after the Broncos star but was unwilling to part with a second-round draft pick. Are you kidding me? Maybe they were holding their breath for Odell Beckham Jr., but looking back at it now, trading a second-round pick for Jeudy would’ve been a steal.

Of course, we don’t know if that’s still the asking price for him. With Sean Payton now the head coach of the Broncos, it’s possible he views the prized receiver as a weapon he wants to build the offense around. So maybe it costs a first-round pick to get the deal done. I say go for it. Maybe they’ve got to throw in an extra pick. I still say go for it.

The Cowboys are a consistently good team that always comes up short in the playoffs. Last year, it was the offense that was a letdown.

If Dallas wants to make the jump from good to great, and be a legitimate Super Bowl contender, they need playmakers on offense. Jeudy is that playmaker. Sell the farm for him — although I hardly consider a single first-round pick to be the “farm.” That’s a steal in my book.

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