Shocking Trade Ideas Cowboys Should Pursue Before 2024 Season

All has mostly been quiet on the Dallas Cowboys front this offseason. After three consecutive years of 12-5 finishes with just one playoff win, the Cowboys are essentially running it back with the same cast of characters in 2024.

There have been a few notable losses. Longtime left tackle Tyron Smith is gone. Former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn left for the Washington Commanders and took a few key contributors with him, including Tyler Biadasz, Dorance Armstrong Jr. and Dante Fowler Jr.

Meanwhile, the most notable addition outside of the draft for the Cowboys has been Ezekiel Elliott returning from a one-year stint with the New England Patriots.

A surprise trade is about the only thing left that could spark some excitement for the Cowboys. They had a solid draft that addressed the offensive and defense lines early, but those additions might take some time to become impact players.

Here's a look at three surprising moves they should look into.

Move on from Brandin Cooks

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Brandin Cooks

The major reason behind the lack of moves for the Cowboys is a tight cap situation. They are currently 29th in available cap space with just $1.9 million in room.

They are going to have to make some moves just to create enough cap space to have an emergency fund during the season. The lack of cash has limited them in how many players they could even retain.

Before the Cowboys could make any bold moves that would allow them to bring in a player, they need to create some cap room.

One way they could open up quite a bit of room right now is to trade away Brandin Cooks. Dealing the 31-year-old right now would free up $4 million, however, waiting a few more weeks and doing it after June 1 would save $8 million against the cap this season.

Executing this move would require a lot of faith in the young receivers on the roster. KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks and Ryan Flournoy would have to be able to combine to take over his role as the second threat alongside CeeDee Lamb.

Then again, Cooks only had 657 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 games last season.

This would be a hard sell for fans who have watched a lot of talent, but it could open up more possibilities to add a late free agent or make another trade.

Take a Shot on Treylon Burks

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Treylon Burks

Whether or not the Cowboys would consider trading Brandin Cooks to clear up some cap, a trade for Treylon Burks could be really interesting in Dallas.

The former first-round pick from Jerry Jones' alma mater hasn't really worked out in Tennessee. After catching 33 passes for 444 yards as a rookie he was even quieter in his sophomore campaign with 16 receptions for 221 yards in 11 games.

With Brian Callahan coming in and the Titans signing Tyler Boyd recently, things aren't looking so great for Burks to have a definitive role in Tennessee.

However, being a former first-round pick is usually something that buys players an extra chance or two to prove themselves. There's always going to be a coaching staff who thinks they can get the most out of the potential teams saw back in the draft.

Burks certainly has some interesting physical tools. He ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at 6'2", 225 pounds and posted 1,104 yards with 11 touchdowns in his final season at Arkansas.

All things considered, Dallas could give him a better context to blossom after a slow start to his career. If he can't succeed playing with CeeDee Lamb and catching passes from Dak Prescott it's probably not going to happen.

Add Dameon Pierce to the Backfield

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Dameon Pierce

The running back rotation is the biggest question remaining for the Cowboys offense going into 2024. The offensive line was addressed through the draft. While it may take a while for the unit to jell and reach its potential, Dallas has a good reputation in that area.

The wide receiver corps could see some changes, but it's a good group of pass-catchers with an elite option at the top of the depth chart.

The running back position is the only one that is flat out questionable. The Cowboys made the right decision to move on from Ezekiel Elliott last offseason only to bring him back this year, Rico Dowdle is fine as a complementary back and Deuce Vaughn might only be able to play a niche role.

A young running back with a higher ceiling would be a good addition.

Most teams aren't willing to part with those players in a trade. Dameon Pierce might be an exception for the Houston Texans. Pierce had over 1,100 yards from scrimmage as a rookie but fell out of favor in his sophomore campaign.

The Texans shifted the workload to Devin Singletary and traded for Joe Mixon this offseason.

Perhaps a fresh start for Pierce would be good for both sides and the Cowboys should be willing to part with a pick to have a shot at a young back with upside.