Cowboys should consider trade for All-Pro WR not named Davante Adams

With the NFL trade deadline just a few weeks away, much of the talk surrounding the Dallas Cowboys has been directed at the defensive side of the football. And that makes plenty of sense, given the recent injuries to Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Marshawn Kneeland, the last two of whom are sitting on injured reserve.

But America's Team still has a few holes to fill on offense as well, the wide receiver position being one of them.

With Brandin Cooks also on injured reserve, Jalen Tolbert stepped up in the Cowboys' Week 5 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, notching a career-best 87 yards on seven catches, the last of which was the game-winning touchdown. But can Dallas truly count on Tolbert to put up numbers like that each and every week? Probably not.

To his credit, Dak Prescott has essentially done the best he can do with the receiving corps he's got and ranks second in the NFL through five weeks with 1,424 passing yards, trailing only Geno Smith (1,466) of the Seattle Seahawks.

CeeDee Lamb continues to be stellar, ranking ninth among all wideouts with 378 yards, and tight end Jake Ferguson is typically a reliable target as well. Tolbert and Kavontae Turpin have played admirably enough, but again, there's a consistency issue there, and neither can be considered a genuine WR2.

And even when Cooks was on the field, he was a bit disappointing, racking up just 91 yards on nine catches in four games.

Naturally, when the Davante Adams trade rumors began, Dallas was listed as a possible destination for the disgruntled Las Vegas superstar. But that was never going to happen, and the Cowboys have officially taken themselves out of the running.

However, Jerry Jones still has another option he can pursue. And a much cheaper one at that, one that could also be considered a straight-up rental for the remainder of the season: DeAndre Hopkins.

Cowboys should call the Titans about DeAndre Hopkins trade

Let's face it. The Tennessee Titans aren't going anywhere this season. At 1-3, they're already well behind the Houston Texans in the AFC South, and they've shown no signs that they're going to get any better. Will Levis has been an absolute disaster, and it'd be a shock if the Titans reach the six wins they did a season ago.

Given the struggles Levis has had, it's not difficult to understand why Hopkins only has 10 catches for 121 yards thus far. Perhaps that's why his name hasn't come as often as others in trade rumors. But make no mistake about it; he'd thrive in Dallas.

Sure, Hopkins is 32 years old and will never be the player he was with the Texans, with whom he made five Pro Bowls and three First-Team All-Pro squads. But it's not as if the 12th-year veteran is washed by any stretch, as evidenced by the fact that he recorded 75 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

Realistically, Adams was never going to have a star on the side of his helmet, as Jones wouldn't want to take on a guy whose cap hit is $44.1 million in each of the next two seasons.

With Hopkins, however, anything beyond this season doesn't even matter, as he's on an expiring contract and will enter free agency this upcoming offseason. His cap hit this season was a touch over $18.3 million, but it's not as if the Cowboys would be taking on that entire amount. Plus, they've got money to spend with over $23.6 million in cap space.

Yes, Dallas may need to use some of that money to acquire some defensive help. But we all know how easy it is nowadays for teams to restructure contracts.

This is a deal that the Cowboys can make. And they likely wouldn't have to give up all that much, perhaps a late-round pick and some additional compensation. But it's undoubtedly doable. And after catching passes from Ryan Tannehill and Will Levis the last two years, Hopkins would likely be ecstatic about an upgrade at QB.

Simply put, Prescott needs a true WR2 to play opposite Lamb, and Hopkins fits that bill to a tee at this point in his career.

All that's left is for Jones to pick up the phone. But all Cowboys fans know how difficult that can be for him at times.

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