Dallas Cowboys Should Trade Miles Austin Instead of Dez Bryant

In the last month there has been some speculation regarding the possibility of the Dallas Cowboys trading Dez Bryant, their first selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. I honestly could not believe my eyes upon seeing this.

True, there will be some issues concerning Bryant as a young man with a ton of money that apparently does not own a watch or alarm clock. The Cowboys brass knew this going in.

I do understand that there is the feeling among many that trade possibilities exist heading into the offseason. For a team that struggled to reach 6-10 following a lousy preseason which was somehow preceded by Super Bowl expectations, this is no real shocker. When you look at the Dallas roster, just about anybody can see that not everyone will remain.

But who should stay and who should go? That will depend on many things, including but not limited to the labor situation, free agency, the draft and so forth. But assuming that football does happen as planned following unexpected labor peace to be announced in the near future, Dallas has to be looking into every possible way to improve.

If I was calling the shots, I would not be shopping Bryant. This guy has skills seen once every decade or better and with the slightest bit of maturity—watch out NFL. The only issue that concerns me is his ability to stay healthy, not his perception of time.

On the other hand, I would be looking to thin out my top-heavy depth chart of wide receivers. No, not Roy E. Williams either.

I’d love to test the market for Miles Austin, though.

Don’t get me wrong—Austin is a good receiver, but he is far from great. The biggest problem here is owner Jerry Jones’ assessment of Austin as a necessary piece to a championship offense.

Austin is a known pass dropper and never did that become more apparent than in his second year starting. He was close to the league lead in dropped passes and single-handedly caused at least four interceptions I can remember just off the top of my head.

Good hands are a gift and a guy who does not have them seldom, if ever, works up to that recognition.

When you think of former receivers like Drew Pearson, Tony Hill and Michael Irvin, you remember their ability to make tough catches in traffic. Austin is not that guy, period. Bryant, on the other hand, definitely is.

Austin was paid way too soon by Jones. At a much lesser salary, I would still like to have him on the roster as a No. 2 or 3 receiver. But with Austin you have a receiver who is good at only a few things. He is a big target to throw to but certainly not as tall as someone like Williams or Keyshawn Johnson. He’s also got good speed but certainly not like Joey Galloway or Bob Hayes.

The skills just mentioned make Austin a completely valid NFL wide receiver. But those hands are becoming a bigger liability. Regardless of what you think of Austin and his role in Dallas, you cannot deny that his hands are arguably more of a liability than those of Terrell Owens.

Sure, Owens and Austin can both catch the soft deep ball over their shoulder, but what happens when a pass with some mustard on it gets fired right at their face or chest? Many times the result can be described with one word: oops.

If you take a look at recent Super Bowl winners, like one of the teams playing in Arlington, Texas in Super Bowl XLV, you will see that three potential No. 1 receivers are not necessary to win a title. Hines Ward could have three rings within a week and he’s the best that Pittsburgh has to offer at the position. Huh?

On the other hand, the Arizona Cardinals, despite the presence of both Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, couldn’t outscore a less-than-stellar offense from those same Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII just two years ago. Even the Cowboys won a third Super Bowl in the 1990s without Alvin Harper playing opposite Michael Irvin. Remember Harper’s replacement? Try Kevin Williams.

The Cowboys have too many other areas of glaring need to keep on tying up so much money at wide receiver. The offensive line needs a near complete overhaul, especially if rookie head coach Jason Garrett still intends to run his silly college spread offense that could include 40-plus passes in a given contest.

There are other areas that need upgrades as well, but that is a different discussion.

If I could get anywhere from a second or third round pick for Austin, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Perhaps Garrett can hit up new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to call twin brother Rex, head coach of the New York Jets, to explore a deal? And, no, Dallas does not need Braylon Edwards in return.

You realize that the 2010 Cowboys finished just three wins better that the 1988 Cowboys did? The new regime which followed Tom Landry made a huge trade for then-franchise runner Herschel Walker who had just been cleared to own the job following the departure of Tony Dorsett. That trade resulted in not just a bunch of draft picks, but also a running back even better than Walker himself.

Apply the same logic to dealing Austin but without the same number of picks involved obviously. Getting young talent has always been the way NFL franchises turn things around. The Cowboys need simply to look at their own history to shoot themselves down the road to improvement much quicker.

After all, the noose is finally around the neck of Garrett.