Plenty of fans worried that the Cowboys were playing with fire when they placed a second-round tender on kicker Brandon Aubrey, opening up at least the possibility of another team swooping in to steal him away. The Cowboys had reportedly offered Aubrey a record deal, but the kicker’s camp had hoped for more. So far, though, no one has bit. If there’s no competing offer by Friday, Aubrey will either have to sign the tender and play 2026 for $5.81 million… or hold out.
There’s also been no action on a George Pickens trade, at least according to Stephen Jones. So if Pickens is staying put, what happens if Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate is available with the 12th overall pick in the draft? It could happen, as the rumor mill now has Dallas shying away (or maybe not) from Reuben Bain. While the mocks are largely sticking with a DB at No. 12 and a front-seven defender at No. 20, there’s also renewed belief that the Cowboys could trade up, specifically to jump the division-rival Giants. Who are both clubs eyeing that would spark such an aggressive move? Arvell Reese? Sonny Styles? Maybe even Jeremiyah Love?!?
Reese may be worth that kind of jump. The Buckeye may not end up being the No. 1 pick, but he’s emerged as the best player available per one outlet. A trade up would make it even more critical that Dallas hits the jackpot on their remaining picks; several names heavily linked to the Cowboys (Keldric Faulk, D’Angelo Ponds) are on the list of “steals” who are currently being undervalued. And he may not be a “need” player for Dallas in 2026, but you should get to know Gennings Dunker. The Iowa offensive lineman is one of the most colorful characters in this year’s class and sure to get a ton of coverage on draft night.
Elsewhere in league news, the Mike Vrabel/Dianna Russini scandal has perhaps come to a head; the insider has now resigned her post at The Athletic. Dexter Lawrence may not be leaving the NFC East after all, and safety Nasir Adderley is back in the NFL three years after abruptly retiring. And the NFL may be making a change to its scheduling formula starting with the 2029 season… but only if the schedule remains at 17 games.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys Headlines: Aubrey nears deadline; is Dallas trying to trade up to jump rival?
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
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