The 2025 season hasn’t lived up to expectations. The Dallas Cowboys have a 3-4-1 record on the season, currently sitting in the No. 15 spot from the bottom in the league. They’ve been really good on offense and really bad on defense. They’ve been really good at home and really bad on the road. They are quintessentially what their record says they are, to borrow from the great Bill Parcells.
So as they prepare to be the final game of the Week 9 schedule, hosting the lowly 2-5 Arizona Cardinals on Monday night, their front office better be prepared. The NFL trade deadline will occur less than 24 hours after the conclusion of that contest and depending on it’s outcome, the Cowboys may be buyers or sellers in what is likely going to be some fast and furious action.
If the Cowboys emerge victorious and even their record, there is an argument to be made they should go out and acquire talent to help shore up holes on their roster. But if they lose? At home to a subpar NFC team on national TV? It is more than likely time to kiss goodbye to faint playoff hopes and start to offload talent which could lead to more draft capital come April.
One never knows who another team might be eyeballing that would make a good addition to their roster. However the Cowboys do have six players who are pending free agents, who many would consider interesting to other clubs.
WR George Pickens
The Cowboys have a serious decision to make if things go bad on Monday night. Pickens may have played so well over the first half of the season that he’s priced his way out of Dallas. That’s a far cry from the assumption that he’d have to prove consistent and calm enough to warrant an extension. Dallas can let him walk and basically recoup the early-to-mid 3rd round pick in 2026 via a potential third-round comp pick in 2027. Or they can plan to tag him, or they could extend him. Perhaps trading him to a team that would give either a second or third rounder in 2026 is the wiser move, if the Cowboys are giving up on their season.
Prorated Salary after Week 9: $1.828 million
Potential Suitors: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers
LB Kenneth Murray
Murray hasn’t been a good fit in Dallas, but he’s on the field a ton in Eberflus’ defense and perhaps there’s a team that needs some veteran linebacker help down the stretch of the season. Dallas swapped a sixth for a seventh for him this offseason, and if they’re packing up for 2025, any compensation would probably be a bonus.
Prorated Salary after Week 9: $2.995 million
Potential Suitors: Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Buccaneers, 49ers
WR Jalen Tolbert
Tolbert has been pushed down the depth chart in Dallas and may be on the verge of losing snaps as Jonathan Mingo (another trade candidate) was activated off IR last week. Tolbert has proven he can be a productive role player, and other teams have seen him grow through his first three seasons.
Prorated Salary after Week 9: $1.7 million
Potential Suitors: Buccaneers, Bills, Seahawks, 49ers
RB Javonte Williams
Williams may be the player who would earn the most in return outside of Pickens. He’s proven capable of being a lead back as far as volume and production, and costs next to nothing in salary. Teams in need of run help would be wise to call the Cowboys on this one.
Prorated Salary after Week 9: $750k + $235k in per-game bonus
Potential Suitors: New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers
Safety Donovan Wilson
If a team is in need of a split-field safety who is more enforcer than coverage guy, Wilson could be a big boost to their secondary.
Prorated Salary after Week 9: $3.25 million + $235k in bonuses
Potential Suitors: Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Chargers, Patriots
DE Dante Fowler
Fowler hasn’t exactly proved to be the player he has been the last couple of seasons in Dan Quinn defenses, but teams in need of edge rushing would be wise to see if a change of scenery away from the Eberflus scheme would return him to the sack specialist he has been.
Prorated Salary after Week 9: $1.5 million
Potential Suitors: Detroit Lions, Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Ravens, Patriots, 49ers
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 6 pending free agents Cowboys could trade by deadline include NFL leaders at WR, RB
Reporting by K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
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