The NFL trade deadline is one month away and the Dallas Cowboys have already been linked with a high-profile player. Early Wednesday, the Cowboys were mentioned as one of the several teams that have "checked in" on Raiders star wide receiver Davante Adams.
For a multitude of reasons, Cowboys fans did not buy the report and it didn't take long for team insiders to refute Dallas' interest in Adams. The team is reportedly comfortable with its current receivers and values its draft capital being it has so much money tied up in extensions and more deals for Micah Parsons and others coming up.
'We like our guys" and "we don't have the money" are the front office's go-to excuses. They hold absolutely no merit and it could blow up in Dallas' face following a concerning update on starting wideout Brandin Cooks.
Cooks will miss Sunday's game against the Steelers and potentially more time after an infection developed in his knee after a procedure he had done following last Thursday's win over the Giants, per ESPN's Todd Archer.
Cowboys must trade for a WR in light of Brandin Cooks' injury
The Cowboys might be out of the Adams sweepstakes, but they have to make a trade for a wide receiver in light of this news.
Cooks isn't putting up WR2 numbers this season. He has just nine catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, but he is third on the team with 19 targets and has played the most snaps among Cowboys receivers not named CeeDee Lamb. While Cooks' absence won't be a death-knell to the offense, where are the Cowboys replacing his production?
Jalen Tolbert has actually out-produced Cooks this season, but a lot of his production came in garbage time of the blowout loss to the Saints. Is rookie Ryan Flournoy ready for the bright lights after being a healthy scratch for the first four games? And exactly how much volume can KaVontae Turpin handle in a pass-catching role? These are questions that do not have obvious answers.
The Jets and Saints are reportedly at the top of Adams' wishlist. It was a pipe dream that Adams would end up in Dallas, but the team needs to pivot to another trade candidate.
Dak Prescott is already in a tough position with no running game and an unimaginative offense. Asking him to keep the season alive throwing to Lamb and a bunch of unproven pass-catchers is franchise malpractice. Cooks has been a virtual non-factor and we're not sure anyone on the roster is even capable of replicating his production, let alone surpassing it.
