3 players the Cowboys should avoid at all costs before NFL trade deadline

For an NFL general manager, one of the most difficult things to do has got to be sitting on your hands at the annual NFL trade deadline, especially if your team is good and looking like a contender. For Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys, it's got to be especially hard, but the Cowboys have been surprisingly frugal of late when it comes to making trades.

They have been on the budget-friendly side, and outside of a trade to acquire Amari Cooper five years ago, you typically don't see Dallas giving up premium NFL Draft real estate for players.

And that might be something to avoid in 2023, at least in a handful of instances. The Cowboys are a team that could undoubtedly justify going in on some bigger moves depending on what players are available, but this is a Cowboys team that should continue to look to be selectively aggressive and not reckless at the trade deadline.

What players should they avoid at all costs? Let's take a look at three.

1. Derrick Henry, RB

As much as I love the idea of Derrick Henry running the ball for the Dallas Cowboys (and it would be fun), the rumored prices to acquire him right now are such that Dallas needs to avoid the temptation. Some rumors involve teams giving up a second-round pick (and then some) in exchange for Henry. If the price to acquire him is anywhere near a second-round pick (or even comparable value), then the Cowboys need to avoid this like the plague.

Henry has a pretty significant base salary for this season (over $10 million) and about half of that will be remaining as of the October 31 trade deadline. So, not only would you be on the hook for around $5 million, but you'd only be renting Henry for this season and possibly the playoffs. He's not under contract in 2024.

So, who wants to trade a second-round pick for a running back who is going on 30 and will cost roughly $5 million, just for this season? The Dallas Cowboys need to pass.