The Cowboys would benefit great from trading away some of their excess depth on the roster rather than letting these players walk after being cut.
On paper, the Dallas Cowboys look the part of an NFL team capable of making a Super Bowl run in the 2023 season. Whether or not paper translates to turf in totality remains to be seen, but this Cowboys roster is among the deepest and most talented in football.
With Week 1 fast approaching, though, that depth and talent has to be cut down to 53 players. That could lead to some players being left off of the roster or, to a slightly less dramatic degree, being buried on the depth chart. In that light, it might make sense for the Cowboys to explore trading some of their assets rather than letting them walk for nothing.
To be sure, the Cowboys don't have any player who they'd be willing to trade that would net Dallas a substantial return — we're likely looking at late-round picks in return with these trades. Having said that, more draft capital is never a bad thing and the Cowboys should consider trading these players before Week 1, though there is one player who needs to stay put in Big D.
NFL Rumors: Cowboys should trade DT Neville Gallimore
Even before taking nose tackle Mazi Smith in the first round of this year's draft, the Cowboys have been intent on shoring up the interior of Dan Quinn's defensive line. They drafted Osa Odighizuwa, Quinton Bohana and even versatile Chauncey Gholston in their 2021 class and later signed veteran Johnathan Hankins.
Before all of those were added to the roster, however, Neville Gallimore was a third-round pick for Dallas from the Oklahoma Sooners back in 2020. A disruptor on his college tape, the belief was that he might round out into a force that had been lacking at defensive tackle for this franchise.
That, however, has not been the case. Gallimore has generously been described as inconsistent in his career and less generously described as a disappointment throughout his tenure with the club. In fact, Reid Hanson of Cowboys Wire described the 2023 season as Gallimore's "last chance".
Gallimore has struggled mightily in every phase of the game at his position over the past two seasons after showing flashes as a rookie. Now, with the reinforcements and talent around him, it might be time to cut ties.
With that being said, the fact that Gallimore was a former third-round pick widely lauded as a steal because of his combination of size and explosiveness could easily appeal to a team looking to roll the dice that he can return to form. The Cowboys should undoubtedly call around because, if not, he's a cut candidate who could be on his way out and be lost for nothing.
NFL Rumors: Cowboys should trade CB Kelvin Joseph before he's a sunk cost
When Dallas drafted Kelvin Joseph out of Kentucky in the second round in 2021, there were hopes that the rangey cornerback could be part of the future in the secondary, an ideal CB2 to pair with then second-year corner Trevon Diggs. Diggs has obviously held up his end of that bargain, but Joseph has struggled mightily.
Joseph has never truly caught on since he joined the Cowboys. That's been evident this offseason in training camp as Mike McCarthy and Dan Quinn have started experimenting with him playing in the slot as opposed the boundary, where he's spent basically his entire football career up to this point.
But the results have still been middling, as Mike Fisher of Cowboys Country noted after the preseason opener against Jacksonville. He's not making the plays and improvements that he needs to in order to make the 53-man roster at a crowded position that's now deeper than it was a season ago.
Diggs, Stephon Gilmore, DaRon Bland, Jourdan Lewis, Nahshon Wright, rookie Eric Scott Jr. and special teamer C.J. Goodwin all seem to have a leg up on Joseph to make the final roster. That doesn't leave really any room for the former second-rounder.
That's just it, though — Joseph is a former Top 60 pick who no one batted an eye at when the Cowboys selected him there. He has that type of talent and arsenal of physical tools. That's the type of players that other franchises are willing to gamble on a bit to try and see if they can save the situation for the cost of a late-round pick.
If that is, in fact, the case, the Cowboys would be foolish to not go that route and cut their losses instead of cutting the player.
NFL Rumors: Cowboys should trade PR/KR/WR KaVontae Turpin from the cut line
I'm not happy to have to say that the Cowboys would be best-served to trade KaVontae Turpin, but it's the unfortunate reality of the situation.
Turpin has been a shot in the arm for the special teams units in Dallas as an electric return man who has made numerous plays for this club. Last season, he ranked fifth among qualifying players with an average of 10.4 yards per punt return. He also would've been sixth in average yards per kick return (24.2) if he'd qualified on his 21 returns from the 2022 season.
The truth about Turpin, though, is that he's always been limited to being a special teams ace. He's listed as a wide receiver on the roster but he's not proven in any meaningful capacity that he could actually help out the offense.
That's where things get tricky for him. Turpin and C.J. Goodwin, though in different ways, both contribute almost exclusively on special teams. But with a crowded roster that needs to be cut down to 53 players, keeping two core special teamers in this manner feels like poor roster construction.
More importantly, Turpin's return ability, though great, isn't unrepeatable. The Cowboys drafted Deuce Vaughn in the fifth round of this year's draft. Not only can he contribute in the backfield, but he has plenty of experience and juice as a return man as well.
With that said, the resumé as a return man that Turpin has built in Dallas is undeniable. A team that has less cut-line questions could very well be interested in giving their special teams a jolt, which could net America's Team a late-round pick, which would be better than having to cut him outright by a mile.
NFL Rumors: Cowboys can't trade DE Dorance Armstrong despite position surplus
Even if no one could've possibly imagined that Micah Parsons would convert from an off-ball linebacker at Penn State to being one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL immediately when the Cowboys drafted him in the first round back in 2021, Dallas has still done a great job of building up the depth on the edge.
Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence are an elite defensive end duo, but 2022 second-rounder Sam Williams, 2018 fourth-rounder Dorance Armstrong, veteran Dante Fowler Jr. and rookie Junior Fehoko all have roles to play on this defense. That, however, is too much depth to be kept on the 53-man roster.
Because of the apparent surplus at the position, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report suggested earlier in the offseason that Armstrong could be a trade candidate for the Cowboys to move before Week 1. In terms of clearing up the depth, it would make sense. In terms of keeping what Dallas needs on the roster, though, it's a move they absolutely shouldn't even consider.
Armstrong is the ideal depth piece for a Dan Quinn defense at defensive end. He's never going to wow anyone, but he does his job routinely and solidly against both the run and pass. There isn't a standout part of his game, but there isn't a hole either.
While saving $5.8 million against the cap would be enticing in a trade while accruing draft capital, the fact of the matter is that Armstrong will do the Cowboys more good as a rotational piece or injury replacement than the cap savings would serve them. He needs to be on the roster in Week 1 — and not some other team's that he was traded to.
