The NFL trade deadline is just days away, and the Dallas Cowboys could have a major effect on the events that transpire leading into Tuesday. And I'm not referring to the possible moves Jerry Jones may consider, but how the result of the Cowboys' Week 9 matchup can spark pre-deadline chaos.
Dallas is set to face off with the 2-6 Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and the Colts are expected to be one of the bigger deadline sellers after firing longtime GM Chris Ballard. And as they look to sell, it happens that Indy has the biggest name that could potentially be moved: Jonathan Taylor.
Taylor is one of the best running backs in the NFL and has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in four of his six NFL seasons, including each of the last two. He's about as coveted as it gets, which has teams like the Giants, Broncos, Vikings, and several others rumored to be involved for his services.
Let's remember that the Cowboys are allowing 152.8 rushing yards per game this season--which is the worst in the NFL. They also just got gashed on the ground by Arizona's Tyler Allgeier, so there's no telling what Taylor could do on Sunday afternoon. And that performance could loom large next week.
Dallas Cowboys could be the reason Jonathan Taylor is or isn't traded
If Taylor has a big game against Christian Parker's defense this weekend, as most would expect him to, then it could ultimately drive his price up even more, and possibly dictate whether or not Taylor actually gets moved.
For as crazy as it sounds, Jonathan Taylor has gone over 90 rushing yards in five games this season, but has yet to break the century mark. This weekend could be the first time he surpasses 100 rushing yards this season, and if he does, the trade deadline implications will be fairly obvious to see.
The Colts made it clear that they're not going to engage in any more trade talks until after Week 9 concludes, which means that this weekend is the 27-year-old's final opportunity to raise his value before a potential trade, and waiting until after the weekend could also serve as a benefit to them.
Since Indianapolis traded two first-round picks to acquire Sauce Gardner at last year's deadline, they're not going to budge in these negotiations. The Colts want a first-rounder, and a matchup with the Cowboys could force someone's hand to pay up.
With a big outing against Dallas, Taylor could prove to a contending team that he's worth that much. And if the rival Giants end up being the team that sends a Day 1 pick for a running back, then this could work out in the long run for the Cowboys, in a convoluted way.
However, it remains to be seen if someone is going to want to pay that price. This is a running back who is making over $20 million in each of the next two seasons and plays a luxury position. Given that running backs have a short shelf life, it's hard to imagine Taylor has many seasons left in his prime.
The Dallas Cowboys have a lot on the line for themselves this weekend, but how they defend Jonathan Taylor could prove to be the biggest ramification before the trade deadline, in a league-wide sense.
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