NFL analyst suggests Cowboys trade for 2x-Pro Bowl RB James Cook

USA Today

17 hours ago

NFL analyst suggests Cowboys trade for 2x-Pro Bowl RB James Cook
As the Cowboys front office loves to remind the team's fans (and as Pittsburgh and Aaron Rodgers showed this week), player acquisition is a year-round endeavor in the NFL. And just because the main waves of free agency and the draft are firmly in the rearview, it doesn't mean the roster churn is necessarily over, even as minicamps get rolling.
The phones are always open, and teams are always willing to at least entertain conversations about swapping established talents, especially if there's a chance of improving a thin spot on the existing roster or stockpiling capital for the future.
Pro Football & Sports Network's Brandon Austin recently took a long look at each team's personnel to identify one trade target that might make a major difference in 2025.
In Dallas, the most obvious area of need in June remains the same as it was back in February. Despite a near-total overhaul of the RB room in the offseason, the position seems far from locked up for the Cowboys. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders bring the experience, and fifth-round draft selection Jaydon Blue likely has the most upside, but "if the Cowboys get the opportunity to upgrade," Austin writes, "they should strongly consider it."
That's the reasoning behind his suggestion for the Cowboys to go after Buffalo running back James Cook.
Cook, the younger brother of veteran Dalvin Cook, has blossomed into one of the NFL's better young running backs. The former Florida State standout eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of the past two seasons with the Bills, and he led the NFL with 16 touchdowns last season. He ranked third among RBs in EPA per play for the whole season at 0.27.
Dalvin joined the Cowboys last season after a prolonged courtship. But the experiment fizzled fast: he saw the field in just two games, getting just eight carries and amassing 20 yards total. He clearly was not the same back who had compiled four consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns with Minnesota from 2019 to 2022.
James, however, is four years younger and has averaged 4.7 yards per carry or more in each of his three pro seasons. That's significantly better than any season Williams has ever turned in, and it matches what Sanders has done over a six-year career. Sanders has almost twice as many rushing attempts, though, meaning he's taken twice as many hits.
The Bills used a committee approach out of the backfield last season, but Ray Davis and Ty Johnson saw far fewer carries than Cook. The reality is, it's difficult to imagine Buffalo weakening their RB corps so dramatically, even if Dallas - or any other team- were to make even a hefty trade offer for Cook.
But it is speculation season; the same article has the Falcons looking to trade for Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland. And Dallas giving up their only proven and healthy CB seems just as improbable as the Bills suddenly sending Cook packing.
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