The Dallas Cowboys already have a roster that can compete for a Super Bowl this season. With Dak Prescott leading a talented offensive group that features young stars Tony Pollard and CeeDee Lamb, and the Cowboys defense having perhaps the best edge rusher in all of football in Micah Parsons and one of the best secondaries in the NFL, the Cowboys don't need to make a big splash trade in order to go all the way in the 2023 NFL season.

But if the Cowboys really wanted to swing for the fences and solidify a potential weakness before Week 1, a last-minute trade with the Arizona Cardinals for tight end Zach Ertz could provide the veteran presence the Cowboys' tight-end room is currently missing.

Why the Cowboys need a tight end

The Cowboys are rolling into the season with Jake Ferguson as the projected starting tight end with second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker and Peyton Hendershot also rotating in. There's not a lot of collective experience in that group, as Ferguson and Hendershot were both rookies playing behind Dalton Schultz in Dallas last year.

Ferguson and Henderson combined for 30 receptions, but for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, playing such a young group of tight ends could lead to costly mistakes at inopportune times. Tight end is one of the most difficult positions in all of football to play right away, and the Cowboys are currently asking three different players to do just that.

While there's no doubt that the young Cowboys tight ends have talent, Prescott needs reliability more than anything else. Lamb is an electric playmaker. Brandin Cooks is one of the most underrated boundary receivers in the league, and Michael Gallup is a trusted target of Prescott's. Dallas needs its tight ends to understand blocking assignments and find gaps against zone coverage quickly and efficiently, and that's a big ask out of Ferguson and company at this young stage of their careers. The Cowboys should consider getting some veteran help for Week 1.

Why Zach Ertz is a great fit in Dallas

Zach Ertz, 32, may not have a whole lot of football years left, and no one with his resume should be forced to play out their final days on a team that is clearly rebuilding like the Arizona Cardinals are. After trading Isaiah Simmons to the New York Giants for a seventh-round pick, it's pretty clear that Arizona is clearing the decks and starting over, and Ertz wouldn't be out of pocket to ask for a trade to a contender.

And there's no better fit for Zach Ertz than Dallas, with a veteran quarterback who isn't afraid to throw in tight windows over the middle of the field in Dak Prescott. Ertz isn't the player he once was, but he has incredibly reliable hands and has seen everything NFL defenses can throw at you. He could thrive in a lesser role that keeps him fresh and allows Dallas to still get their young tight ends the reps they need for the future.

Ertz would essentially be a “bridge player” for the Cowboys that can help the team be more competitive now and then step aside when the young tight ends behind him are truly ready to take over.

Ertz had more receptions last year in 10 games (47) than every Dallas tight end has in their careers combined. He's made a game-winning touchdown catch in a Super Bowl and could add a veteran voice and championship experience to a receiving group that may be lacking that leadership. You know exactly what you're going to get from Ertz, and there's major value in that reliability.

The Arizona Cardinals should be ready to clear the starting tight-end position to Trey McBride, so the cost to acquire Zach Ertz would likely be pretty cheap.

The Dallas Cowboys have the luxury of filling in the margins and making small improvements with so many key pieces to the roster already in place. The Cowboys trading for a trusted veteran like Ertz before Week 1 could help solidify an already impressive roster and finally push Dallas over the top.