Another NFL trade deadline has come and gone without the Dallas Cowboys' front office making the big splash a lot of fans were looking for. The Cowboys swung two big trades this offseason for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks, but injuries and unforeseen weaknesses that damaged Dallas' roster through the first half of the season had many fans hoping for a midseason move. It was a relatively quiet trade deadline overall, but the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers each made multiple acquisitions before the bell rang. These three trades could have helped the Cowboys get a leg up on their fast-improving conference opponents.
Chase Young
The Cowboys don't need any more pass rushers. Between Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, Sam Williams, and Dante Fowler, there is barely enough playing time to go around already. San Francisco didn't really need more pass rushers either, but they got the best one on the market anyway. The 49ers will now pair Chase Young with his former Ohio State teammate Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, and Arik Armstead.
Cowboys fans would have nothing to complain about if San Francisco had given up a first, or even a second-round pick for Young. But the third-round pick that the Niners had to pony up to acquire one of the most talented pass rushers in football puts the deal firmly in bargain territory. Jerry Jones' strategy of letting other teams come to him for trades failed him here. A bargain like the one San Francisco got for Young doesn't seem like much of a possibility between division foes, but Williams and a middle round pick might have enticed the Commanders to ship Young over to Dallas instead of the Bay Area.
Jaylon Johnson
It seemed like a certainty that the Chicago Bears would deal star cornerback Jaylon Johnson after the third-year vet requested a trade ahead of the deadline. The Cowboys were one of the teams rumored to be in on Johnson, but a trade never materialized at all.
DaRon Bland has performed admirably in Trevon Diggs' absence. In fact, he's playing like the best cornerback on the roster at the moment. Cowboys fans will remember last season when the team's lack of secondary depth reared its ugly head late in the year. Bland is already in a feature role, so there isn't much of a security net for the Cowboys right now if he or Gilmore gets hurt. If either of the Cowboys' remaining starters at cornerback suffers an injury, Jones might find himself wishing he pulled the trigger on Johnson.
DeAndre Hopkins
It seems impossible that the Tennessee Titans could envision DeAndre Hopkins as a part of the team's success once they find a quarterback and end their rebuild. He's only on the roster through next season, and there's no telling who the starter under center will be. Will Levis looked the part in his first NFL start and Hopkins was the primary beneficiary with three touchdowns in Week 8, but there is just no way the Titans hold on to Hopkins long enough to contend with him.
The Cowboys needed a player like Hopkins this season. Lamb started coming out of his shell against the Rams in Week 8 and Cooks has caught touchdowns in back-to-back weeks, but Dallas' lack of firepower at wide receiver is holding the team back. Tony Pollard is having a hard time breaking through to the second level, defenses are getting away with man coverage against Michael Gallup, and the Cowboys could simply use another offensive weapon. Every offense in the league could. Jones and the Dallas front office should have bitten the bullet and acquired Hopkins. The money would have worked out in the end one way or another.
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