The Dallas Cowboys have experienced their share of ups and downs thus far during the 2023 season. With the NFL trade deadline closing in, the Cowboys’ front office is reportedly preparing to be buyers with eyes on a specific side of the ball.
Dallas, who enters Week 7 at 4-2, has blowout wins over the New York Giants, New England Patriots and New York Jets. However, a 12-point defeat to the Arizona Cardinals and a 32-point loss to the San Francisco 49ers raised legitimate questions about the Cowboys’ status as a Super Bowl contender.
Related: Week 7 NFL coverage map
There are plenty of issues to address on both sides of the ball. Entering NFL games today, Dallas ranked 18th in offensive touchdowns per game (1.8), 26th in red-zone touchdown rate (39.13%) and 22nd in second-half scoring per game (9.2 points).
With Trevon Diggs sidelined for the season, Dallas has also started deteriorating defensively. In the last two weeks, Dallas has allowed opponents to average 7.7 yards per attempt with a 6-1 TD-INT ratio and a 113.6 QB rating. Days out from the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline, the holes on the roster are becoming more evident.
On the Inside Coverage podcast, senior NFL reporter Charles Robinson named the Cowboys as one of the teams he has heard is operating as a buyer ahead of the trade deadline. As for potential targets, he pointed to Dan Quinn’s defense.
“Is there an economical piece out there available to us, maybe defensively, that makes some sense for us?”
Charles Robinson on the Dallas Cowboys’ mindset at the NFL trade deadline
Economics will play a significant part in the Cowboys’ approach. According to OverTheCap.com, Dallas has just $7.392 million in cap space right now. While the Cowboys could theoretically move money over, they are also projected to be over the 2024 NFL salary cap by $1 million.
Defensively, linebacker is an obvious need with Leighton Vander Esch sidelined by an injury once again. Cornerback has also become a glaring issue to address following the Diggs’ injury. The Cowboys’ options will be limited thanks to the draft picks they already traded away and their minimal cap space.
It will force them to navigate numerous hurdles at the NFL trade deadline, but there will be pressure to make a move now with the team’s window led by this core likely closing in the next three years.