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4 Moves Cowboys Should Make After Trade Deadline

The NFL trade deadline came and passed. With the second half of the season here, here are four moves the Dallas Cowboys must make down the stretch.

By Devon Platana

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance (19) runs for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the third quarter at AT&T Stadium.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance (19) runs for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the third quarter at AT&T Stadium. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
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The Dallas Cowboys didn't make much noise at this week's NFL trade deadline. Outside of an underwhelming deal that landed wideout Jonathan Mingo from the Carolina Panthers, the Cowboys sat on their hands as they made it increasingly clear that they don't plan on ending their Super Bowl drought in February.

With nine weeks remaining in the regular season, fans are wondering how America's Team will end the year. Even though they likely won't make the playoffs, there are still things that the Cowboys can do down the stretch to provide their fanbase with hope for next season.

With that in mind, here are four moves the Cowboys must make following the trade deadline.

1. Give QB Trey Lance Some Starts

The Cowboys' grim season worsened earlier this week when it was revealed that quarterback Dak Prescott will likely miss at least four weeks with a torn hamstring. As a result, veteran gunslinger Cooper Rush will be Dallas' QB1 going forward.

It isn't difficult to see why the Cowboys are rolling with Rush. The former Central Michigan product has spent most of the last decade with the franchise and owns a 5-1 record in six career starts. But even if Rush is the more proven commodity, Dallas must find a way to give third-string QB Trey Lance some playing time.

Lance has yet to make a regular-season appearance with the Cowboys since being acquired from the San Francisco 49ers back in August 2023. The ex-North Dakota State QB showed what he's capable of this past summer, though, pacing the NFL with 662 passing yards and 168 rushing yards during the 2024 preseason.

That isn't to say that Lance will replicate those results in the regular season, but the Cowboys may as well see what he can do. The rest of the campaign is relatively meaningless at this point and it's worth seeing if the former 2021 third-overall selection can finally live up to expectations.

If Lance can thrive under center, the Cowboys have a legitimate contingency plan if Prescott's injury winds up being more serious. If not, there isn't any harm in trying given that the 24-year-old passer is a free agent in the offseason.

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