Dallas Cowboys Draft: Trading back, not up, a logical move

If the Dallas Cowboys decide to move around in the early portion of the draft it makes considerably more sense to move back than to move up.

Jerry Jones has a reputation for wheeling and dealing so it only makes sense the Dallas Cowboys are often pegged as movers and shakers in mock drafts. Just last week Pro Football Focus released a mock draft that had Dallas trading their way to their desired pick.

While PFF had Dallas moving up, it makes considerably more sense for them to move back. Especially if it’s Dallas picking a position they traditionally don’t value very high like safety.

The same week PFF had the Dallas Cowboys moving up for a safety, Dane Brugler had them moving back for a safety. And frankly, the trade back probably netted them the better safety.

But let’s set the positions and players aside and just explore the logic of such a move. While many of us believe Dallas to be on the cusp of contention, they aren’t quite in “one piece away” territory. So trading a valuable top-80 pick in order to move up doesn’t make much sense from a roster building perspective.

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Rounds 1-3 are supposed to provide starters (or at least valuable role/rotational players).  Dallas needs these players to round out their roster. As we explained yesterday in, Trading for Jamal Adams presents big problems, Dallas can’t afford to give up draft picks that offer budget friendly contracts. Not with so many players about to get paid. They need cheap labor and draft picks give them cheap labor.

Moving back may not get them their very favorite draft target but it will give them extra picks in the top-100. That gives them one more budget friendly contract, and one more chance to hit on a prospect (because after all, the draft is kinda a crapshoot). It may even get them a player they wanted all along.

Obviously we need to see how the draft unfolds to see if it’s the environment we want them to move around in. If a generational player falls close, maybe he’ll prove to be the exception to my rule. But generally speaking, the Dallas Cowboys are much better served trading back and collecting an extra top-100 pick than moving up and giving up a pick.

• Published on 02/07/2020 at 13:30 PM
• Last updated at 02/07/2020 at 07:15 AM