Jerry Jones: Cowboys Must Fill Dez Bryant Void; Open to Draft-Day Trade

The Dallas Cowboys traded up in the 2010 NFL draft in order to nab Dez Bryant, and now that they have moved on from the star wideout, they are open to making a draft-day trade if it means landing his replacement. 

On Tuesday, Dallas owner Jerry Jones said the team will consider moving up from No. 19 for the right player, via the Dallas Morning News' Jon Machota:

"I think we recognize that we have a hole to fill with Dez. We know we won't [get] a pure X receiver to replace Dez [out of this draft]." Jones added, "If we get a really outstanding opportunity to do something really special for our team I would be giving that a lot of consideration."    

Even with Bryant on the roster, the Cowboys made moves to try to improve their receiving corps—although they may have done so knowing he was not in their 2018 plans. They signed both Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson in free agency.

Neither of those players has Bryant's track record, though.

In eight seasons in Dallas, Bryant hauled in 531 passes for 7,459 yards and 73 touchdowns. The 6'2", 220-pound wideout had a three-year stretch where he recorded at least 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns in each season, and overall, he made three Pro Bowls.

It was just last year that he put up 838 yards and found the end zone six times. While those aren't the numbers the Cowboys signed him to a five-year, $70 million contract back in 2015 for, they were still good enough to lead the team, meaning receivers will have to step up in order to replace that type of production.

Dallas released the 29-year-old Bryant earlier this month, giving the team a chance to shed some salary while looking for the next wave of playmakers.

Is there a Bryant-like receiver in this year's class? That's for Jones, Jason Garrett and Co. to figure out. If they feel like there's a player who can be a star for years to come, don't be surprised if they pick up the phone and make a deal.