Blockbuster Cowboys trade pitch: Dallas loses quarterback

Getty

The Dallas Cowboys, along with the rest of the NFL, face the November 5th trade deadline and could part ways with a quarterback.

The Dallas Cowboys still have some time to make a trade before the Nov. 5 deadline, and one NFL analyst and expert has an idea of ​​who he thinks they should trade. In a Sept. 30 post for FanSided, Nick Villano named one player from each NFL team he believes should be traded at the 2024 trade deadline. For the Cowboys, Villano suggests trading a quarterback who has been with the team for years.

NFL analyst says Cowboys quarterback 'on the verge of no longer being of value to the Cowboys'

In the feature, Villano says the Cowboys “need to look to the future,” and that means taking a look at their quarterbacks. They currently have franchise quarterback Dak Prescott and backup quarterbacks Cooper Rush and Trey Lance.

“They have two pretty good quarterbacks behind Dak Prescott who probably won't play a role on this team other than as insurance,” Villano noted. “It's completely fine to have a quarterback like that who can step in at any time. Two is excessive, especially if it lasts two seasons.”

This is where Rush comes into play. Rush joined the Cowboys in 2017. He was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants in May 2020, but resigned from the Cowboys in October and has been with Dallas ever since.

Despite Rush's years with the Cowboys, Villano says it's time to let him go.

“Cooper Rush no longer has the value he once had, but he will soon no longer have value to the Cowboys,” Villano said. “After Dallas signed Prescott with the richest quarterback contract this offseason, there is no real value in developing two quarterbacks behind him. Above all, it makes no sense to develop someone who will make the best money in the market as a backup. Rush is currently making $2.5 million, but he has the chance to make much more if he becomes a free agent this offseason.”

Villano added: “Trading Rush would give the Cowboys some sort of asset now without really losing anything of value. “With Trey Lance on the roster, Rush is simply an asset worth acquiring.”

Cooper Rush is second in line to Dak Prescott

One caveat to Villano's idea is that Rush is the Cowboys' No. 2 quarterback behind Prescott.

“Mike McCarthy made it official. “Cooper Rush is the Cowboys' backup quarterback,” said Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS in a Sept. 2, 2024 message on X. “Trey Lance has made tremendous progress and they want to develop him.” But Rush is like expects QB2.”

McCarthy also had good things to say about Lance, but acknowledged that Rush was her No. 2 man.

“Cooper took over at No. 2 this week, but I felt very encouraged and really excited by the growth that Trey has made throughout the process,” McCarthy said on Sept. 2. “I feel like I answer the question the same way every time.” . We just have to develop it further. You see the things he really focuses on. The concept, the footwork and things like that. As the preseason progressed it got better week by week.”

He added: “I think he did a great job of extending plays with his legs. Made some plays in the quarterback run phase. I'm just trying to continue that drop-back pass. So he’s progressing and I don’t know if there’s anyone on our team who benefited more from the preseason than Trey Lance.”

Anne Erickson Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter who covers the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. Erickson has years of experience in the NFL and other sports, and her work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson