The Dallas Cowboys will look to turn things around in 2025 under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer after a disappointing 2024 season. The Cowboys finished third in the NFC East behind the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders, who played each other in the NFC title game.
The 2024 season was one to forget for the Cowboys, as multiple players on both sides suffered long-term injuries, including starting quarterback Dak Prescott.
Prescott picked up a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. At that point of the season, the Cowboys were 3-5 and in the middle of a losing streak.
The Cowboys had an outside shot of making the playoffs, but they needed to get their act together in the second half of the season. That never happened, as they finished with a 7-10 record.
However, the hope for the 2025 season is that the Cowboys can get back into the Super Bowl conversation with a healthy Prescott and more offensive weapons.
On Tuesday, Prescott provided an encouraging injury update on his hamstring, which should push the Cowboys’ brass to make a trade for a veteran wide receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb.
"My health is good. Doing a lot more, getting there, think I’m what 12 weeks or so out of surgery now,” Prescott said (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic). So really looking to amp it up here recently, got all the confidence and we’ll be fine."
Dak Prescott with a health update after having season-ending hamstring surgery pic.twitter.com/ojAYyyJSYO
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) February 11, 2025
If you are a Cowboys fan, you are excited to hear that things are going well with Prescott. This offense took a step back without him on the field for the last nine games. However, Dallas cannot sit on its hands this offseason and not get him another receiver.
Luckily enough for the Cowboys, Deebo Samuel and Cooper Kupp are the premier trade targets that could help them. Samuel is two years younger than Kupp, turning 29 last month.
However, the San Francisco 49ers veteran receiver saw his production dip in 2024, which is not a good sign heading into a contract year. Samuel had 806 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns (career-lows), likely due to various injuries.
Therefore, if I’m the Cowboys’ brass, your best bet might be to go after Kupp. The 31-year-old receiver is two years older than Samuel and has dealt with his own injury concerns. But he’s still under contract for 2025 and 2026, which could be more enticing for the win now Cowboys.
However, Kupp is due $20 million and $19.85 million over the next two years, which won’t be easy to trade. If I'm the Cowboys, the starting point for a Kupp trade begins at a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Adding Kupp will give the Cowboys’ passing game more versatility, as he can line up in the slot and on the perimeter. Kupp isn’t the same player he was in 2021 when he won the Triple Crown in receiving, but his mere presence on the field changes how a defense plays.
Lamb can stretch the field with explosive plays, while Kupp does the damage underneath and in the intermediate parts of the field. After failing to upgrade the WR room in 2024, Dallas cannot repeat its same mistake in 2025.