NFL franchises are known for keeping their cards close to the vest this time of year. With massive decisions looming in free agency and the NFL Draft, no team wants to show its hand too early. Still, coaches occasionally leave bread crumbs that can reveal moves long before they happen.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer may have done just that at the NFL's League Meetings on Monday.
Per The Athletic's Jon Machota, "Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer mentioned the possibility of Dallas trading up in next month's draft. He said they "absolutely" have the ammunition to get that done. "Jerry is never afraid of making deals.""
If Schottenheimer's quote is any indication, the Cowboys are more than willing to move up in the draft to take one of the top prospects on their board.
Brian Schottenheimer drops a Dallas Cowboys draft quote that will have fans buzzing
After trading away Micah Parsons and Osa Odighizuwa over the last 12 months, the Cowboys are loaded with draft capital. Their two first-round picks have the potential to shift the course of the franchise over the next half-decade.
Throughout the draft process, fans and analysts have expected Dallas to use both of its Day One picks to bolster the defensive roster. Christian Parker's unit has multiple holes that still need addressing, and there are plenty of defensive prospects worth taking in that range.
Schottenheimer just put an entirely different option on the table. If the Cowboys use their draft capital to move up into the top ten, they could take one of the truly elite players in this year's class.
It's impossible to discuss the possibility of trading up without mentioning Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. The 6'5", 244-pound athletic freak is one of the best off-ball linebacker prospects to enter the draft in years. His combination of physical dominance and natural instincts has scouts drooling. With a massive question mark at linebacker, the Cowboys are an obvious landing spot for the former Buckeye.
But they would likely have to move up to get him. Styles might not make it out of the top five picks, let alone the top ten. It may even take both first-round picks to get in position to draft the star linebacker.
This may just be another example of the Cowboys talking a big game before playing it safe, but it sure sounds like Schottenheimer and Jerry Jones are willing to make some big moves in April's draft.