Cowboys' Top Hypothetical Trade Packages in 2024 to Reach NFL Super Bowl 59 in 2025
There's always pressure to win for the Dallas Cowboys, but the 2024 season is going to either generate a diamond or blow the whole thing up for Dallas.
After flirting with moving on from head coach Mike McCarthy, the organization decided to have the former Packers head man coach next season on an expiring contract, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
If regular-season success was enough McCarthy would have already earned an extension. They are 42-25 with three consecutive 12-win seasons under his watch. It's the 1-3 playoff record that has him on thin ice.
With jobs on the line and a roster that is obviously close to being a contender, the Cowboys are a team that could get aggressive this offseason. Here are three hypothetical trade packages that exemplify that aggression and could help put them over the top.
Uniting the Diggs Brothers
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Bills Receive: 2024 first-round pick (No. 24), 2024 fifth-round pick (No. 172 Overall), 2025 fifth-round pick
Cowboys Receive: WR Stefon Diggs
The relationship between Stefon Diggs and the Buffalo Bills has felt tense for a while. His non-committal comments at the Pro Bowl aren't going to do anything to ease anyone's concerns. Here's what he had to say when asked if he is optimistic about Buffalo's direction, per Stephen Holder of ESPN.
"I feel like I take it day by day," he said. "Obviously, there's a lot of changes going on, a lot of things going on. I can't really put the carriage before the horse, you know what I'm saying? But I got a great offseason in front of me to put a lot of work in and kind of build around what we got and what we're doing."
"I can't tell you what the future holds, but I'm still being me," he added.
Diggs saw his production and role decrease down the stretch for the Bills. The team had another early exit which could serve to compound his frustrations.
Despite that, he still had 107 receptions for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns. The Bills could still be persuaded to part with their receiver for cap reasons. They are over the cap and could save $19 million in space if they trade the receiver after June 1.
Diggs' younger brother—Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs—has openly campaigned for his brother to join him before. If the receiver wants to make it happen then he might be willing to help make it happen financially.
The wouldn't be a cheap move for Dallas, but pity to the defense that has to try and defend CeeDee Lamb and Diggs in the same offense. Dak Prescott would have a hard time failing in the playoffs with an offense that has both of them.
Joey Bosa Becomes Micah Parsons' Running Mate
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Chargers Receive: 2024 First-Round Pick (No. 24 overall)
Cowboys Receive: EDGE Joey Bosa
The Cowboys have one of the most talented pass-rushers in the game in Micah Parsons. He's a magnetic force that brings the attention of the offensive line and forces teams to gameplan around wherever he's lining up on the field.
Yet, the Cowboys were 16th in pressure percentage and 14th in sacks. The Packers exposed their mediocre pass-rush production. Jordan Love put up 272 yards and three touchdowns while taking no sacks. The Cowboys only registered three quarterback hits as a team and one of them came from interior rusher Osa Odihizuwa.
The Cowboys would make it much more difficult if they upgraded the edge-rusher position on the other side of Parsons.
Looking across the league at who could legitimately be available, Joey Bosa would make a lot of sense as a target. The Chargers have to clear a lot of cap space. They are buried in cap debt (-$44 million) and have four players who are set to have cap hits over $32 million right now.
Bosa is one of those four players and he's coming off an injury-plagued season in which he played only nine games. They would clear $14.4 million in cap space and probably pick up a first-rounder to replace him in the process of trading him.
Acquiring him is the kind of risk the Cowboys may have to take to join the elite echelon of the NFC. Bosa still had 6.5 sacks in the nine games he played last year, which would be third on the Cowboys team for the entire season.
Put C.J. Mosley in the Middle of the Defense
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New York Jets Receive: IOL T.J. Bass, 2024 third-round pick (No. 87 overall)
Dallas Cowboys Receive: LB C.J. Mosley, 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 186 overall)
The Cowboys defense was one of the best in the league, but it still had a few glaring weaknesses that hurt them at pivotal times. One was an apparent lack of depth at off-ball linebacker. Moving Markquese Bell to a linebacker role from safety was a resourceful move.
However, the Cowboys would have benefitted from another true linebacker to play alongside Damone Clark and Leighton Vander Esch.
Dropping C.J. Mosley in the middle of this defense is the kind of move that could kick it up a notch. Looking at some of the defenses that survived through the playoffs there were some good linebackers. Fred Warner is key to the Niners defense. The Ravens advanced to the AFC Championship in part because of the trade to bring in Roquan Smith last season.
Mosley is getting long in the tooth, but he's still playing at a high level. He carried the fifth-best grade with PFF this season in a season where he had 152 tackles while playing 99 percent of the defensive snaps for the Jets.
The Jets could clear $11 million in cap space if they trade the 32-year-old defender, but the Cowboys would have the ability to re-work his contract to lighten the financial burden and make a push for next year's Super Bowl.
In this trade scenario, the Cowboys could throw in reserve guard T.J. Bass who showed some positive signs as a rookie. The Jets are desperate for offensive line depth and could replace the Day 2 pick they lost in the Aaron Rodgers trade.
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