With the Philadelphia Eagles making a move for Kevin Byard just one day after knocking off the Miami Dolphins, the Dallas Cowboys need to find a way to answer. They're already behind in the NFC East and need to find a way to overtake their biggest rival if they want to make a run either at the division title or even in the playoffs.
At 4-2, they're in a good spot but they've proven to have far too many holes that need to be addressed. That's why they need to try and make a move at the NFL Trade Deadline. Having said that, they can't make just any move with these three ideas needing to be avoided.
3. C.J. Henderson, CB, Carolina Panthers
With Trevon Diggs out for the season, Dallas hasn't been as good in the secondary this year as they hoped. Stephon Gilmore and DaRon Bland have both been solid starters but Jourdan Lewis went into the bye week as the 59th-ranked cornerback according to PFF.
Lewis is still a solid third corner but the Cowboys were aiming for more than this when they traded for Gilmore this offseason. That's why they've been linked to cornerbacks leading up to the deadline with Jaylon Johnson and Donte Jackson being named as targets. Another name that has surfaced is C.J. Henderson, a teammate of Jackson's with the Carolina Panthers.
Henderson was once a highly sought-after prospect coming out of Florida. The Jacksonville Jaguars added him with the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft but was gone during the 2021 campaign. The Jags ended up sending him to Carolina as they hoped a change of scenery would help him reach his potential.
So far, that hasn't happened. Despite this, Dallas is known for trying to get the most out of former first-rounders but this is one they should leave alone.
2. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos
So far in 2023, the Cowboys aerial attack has left a lot to be desired. Heading into their bye, they're 20th in the NFL in passing yards with 1,261. CeeDee Lamb is responsible for 475 of those yards and next is Michael Gallup with 204.
From there, Jake Ferguson has 190, Tony Pollard has 176, and Brandin Cooks comes in with just 109 yards. With such a lack of production behind Lamb, Dallas has been tied to several available receivers, including Jerry Jeudy.
However, they need to avoid the Denver Broncos wideout who was actually drafted ahead of Lamb in 2020. The 15th overall pick that season has talent but he did himself no favors recently by blaming everyone around him for his struggles to kick off the 2023 campaign.
“As a receiver, there’s a lot of people you’ve got to depend on,” Jeudy said via Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post. “You can be open, but if the line don’t do their thing or the quarterback don’t do his thing or the (offensive coordinator) don’t put you (in a good spot), it’s a whole lot of stuff that you’ve got to go through as a receiver to be successful. Y'all need to go watch the film instead of looking at the stats. Go watch the film and see what it is.”
Jerry Jeudy: “You could be open, but the line don’t do their thing, the quarterback didn’t do the job, the OC don’t put you in a — it’s a whole lot of stuff that we’ve gotta go through as a receiver to be successful. …”
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 19, 2023
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With the issues that Dallas has had thus far, they've been fortunate their players haven't been too upset. Or at least they've kept it in-house.
Adding someone who will voice frustrations freely, especially when you're the NFL team most scrutinized by the media, isn't what a team needs in order to break through an offensive slump.
1. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, New England Patriots
The fourth overall pick in 2016, Ezekiel Elliott broke into the NFL and was an instant star. He led the league with 1,631 yards and had 15 touchdowns as a rookie to go along with 363 yards and another score as a receiver.
He and fellow rookie Dak Prescott ushered in a new era for America's Team and gave fans a reason to believe. Even with a suspension in 2017, Elliott was able to shine throughout his first four seasons. But then, he started to get worn down and only topped 1,000 yards once in his final three years in Big D.
This led to his release ahead of the 2023 campaign and despite one rumor after another hinting at a reunion, Elliott wound up with the New England Patriots. He's now played seven games for them, including one in Dallas where fans were able to pay their respects to a player they rooted for during the past seven years.
While that was a good story, Elliott's time in New England hasn't led to a career revival. Zeke has 224 yards and two touchdowns on the ground with just 59 yards through the air. What's worse is, he's averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and 4.5 per reception, both of which are career lows for him.
Elliott was wildly popular in Dallas, so there's still a lot of love for him. There are also still those who think he's the answer to their red zone issues this season after he had 12 touchdowns a year ago. Having said that, Pollard had nine touchdowns and is struggling, so the issues go well beyond the running back. Adding a blast from the past won't fix things, no matter how popular the player is.