For the Dallas Cowboys - just speaking about D.J. Moore as a player? - this makes too much sense.
Money to trade for the pricy Chicago Bears receiver, who some think is on the outs in the Windy City?
The Cowboys currently have $34.5 million available, and even after allocating $10–12 million for the rookie class, they could juggle their way to having enough left to make something big happen.
Moore’s contract? Definitely doable. ...
But steep.
Truly, given the way this front office has operated in recent history, it's safe to say he's well outside their price range. His cap hits are $24.9 million in 2025 and $28 million in 2026. ...
And that should kill the fun speculation right there.
The player himself? He’s exactly what Dallas claims it’s hunting for: "An explosive No. 2.''
Heck, he's seen by some as an "explosive No. 1.''
He's veteran who can do a little bit of everything. Only 28 years old. Productive. Physical. Scheme versatile. He's the 11th highest-paid receiver in the game (that's bad for Dallas) but he's the sixth-most productive since he entered the league back in 2018 (that's good for Dallas).
He's the archetype.
But again, to the problems and the truths ... Three of them ...
1 - If he's so good, why is Chicago wanting to move him? Attitude? Is that enough? (See below.)
2 - Savings? Nah. The Bears actually eat $9 million if they dump a guy who is among their best players.
3 - Did we mention that the team that trades for him will be picking up two years of gigantic cap hits?
For a Bears team with a cheap rookie contract at QB and a go-for-it-now mentality, the math doesn’t support losing their best veteran weapon. ... Even if he did allegedly "quit" on Caleb Williams and the team last year.
What about the idea that he's expendable?
The Bears drafted three pass-catchers in the top two rounds over the last two years. But that’s the point — you do that to help your rookie quarterback, not just to give yourself permission to strip away weapons.
You don’t get a second shot at building around a rookie QB window. And if D.J. Moore is your most established weapon, why pull the plug before you even know what you have in rookies like Luther Burden?
This is a fun Cowboys hypothetical, but even if Dallas would pay the price (salary plus pick), it just doesn't make sense from the Bears perspective.
