The Dallas Cowboys entered the NFL season with a $10 million quarterback in Tony Pollard, thinking hiring two $10 million linebackers wasn’t a good idea.
Could that change give a) how a trade before the deadline could change the price and b) how Dallas struggled in the red zone?
In a trade scenario offered as “realistic” by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Cowboys would trade a conditional 2025 sixth-round draft pick for Arizona Cardinals shortstop James Conner. And while we often scoff at the fantasy football level concepts that pop up so often on the internet, we can take a few thoughts from it. Exactly… 1 – Conner, a two-time Pro Bowl running back, is 6-1, 230 pounds and has credentials as a red-zone force.
2 – The Cardinals are 1-5, going nowhere and should be in a fire sale.
3 – Conner, 28, is essentially a $9 million APY guard under contract through 2024. However, his contract runs past 2023, and with him currently on the injured reserve list after suffering a knee injury in Week 5, his trade prices are cheap. … maybe even more affordable if Dallas asks Arizona to pick up some of the tab.
4 – Barnwell’s guaranteed trade price is basically… nothing. “Conditional 2025 sixth round draft pick”? That “condition” could be playing time or touchdowns or whatever Dallas chooses. If Conner is missing, Arizona will receive less than a sixth-round pick. If Conner ends up in target, the Cowboys will be better for it and thankfully lose a late pick.
Barnwell (paywall) writes of his idea: “The Cowboys wouldn’t be owed anything until Conner scored in a Cowboys uniform, protecting them from situations where he can’t play at a meaningful level after injury. They would be owed a sixth-round pick if Conner scores one touchdown, a fifth-round pick if he finds the dirt four times, or a fourth-round pick if he scores six touchdowns and/or rushes for 500 yards the rest of the season.
As Cowboys Nation knows, Dallas has been prolific entering the red zone, but one of the worst teams in the NFL when it gets there. Maybe Ezekiel Elliott’s departure has something to do with it. Maybe the lack of consistency on the offensive line is a factor. Maybe Pollar — who is doing well by the way — doesn’t have the strength to be closer.
As a solution, it almost looks like a free lottery ticket. As recently as 2021, Conner was second in the NFL with 15 touchdown passes, but he’s not a one-dimensional player. Will he be brought to Dallas for less money and a pick? The cowboy problem can be solved cheaply.
