Cowboys' Top Trade Targets Entering 2022 NFL Offseason

The Dallas Cowboys' 2021 season might have ended in a frustrating fashion, but the upside is they are close to becoming Super Bowl contenders. 

Hiring Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator and making changes on that side of the ball brought about a huge improvement. Dak Prescott had a great bounce-back season after his injury, and the offense was among the best in the league again. 

Despite all those positives, though, Dallas still wound up with a one-and-done playoff appearance. All that being said, there's incentive for the Cowboys to make some aggressive moves that could put them over the top. 

That includes exploring the trade market to bring in a missing piece or two that could get them to the next level. Here are three who would fit the bill. 

Dan Quinn did a lot of things to fix the Cowboys defense, but the run defense remained an issue. It wasn't as awful as it was in 2020, but it still surrendered 4.5 yards per carry. 

There were several culprits, but the defensive tackles certainly didn't help. Neville Gallimore dealt with injuries again and hasn't broken out in his first two years in the NFL. Carlos Watkins carried a 61.3 grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 61st among all interior defenders. 

Osa Odighizuwa has potential but is a traditional 3-technique with pass-rush upside. 

Michael Pierce would give the front a pure nose tackle. The 6'0" 340-pounder would solidify the front while bringing some leadership to a young group of players. 

The Vikings have an incentive to trade the 29-year-old as well. They are $14 million over the cap and shipping him off would save them a little over $6 million. He had a career-high three sacks and posted a 78.5 grade from PFF despite missing nine games this season with an injury. 

A healthy Pierce would be a much-needed upgrade on the defensive line. 

If NFL teams are looking to acquire good players, it doesn't hurt to start by calling those in the worst cap trouble. 

The Saints certainly qualify here. They are $76 million over the cap, per Over the Cap. After several years of pushing debt into the future to maximize their Drew Brees window, they have now made clearing cap space an annual tradition. 

It leaves the future of a player such as Erik McCoy in question. He has been a good center in the first three years of his career, but the Saints picked Cesar Ruiz in the first round of the 2020 draft and he is capable of playing center.

Trading McCoy would allow New Orleans to save around $3 million on the salary cap. 

The 24-year-old is in the final season of his rookie deal and in line for an extension after the 2022 season. If he isn't part of the Saints' long-term plans, it would make sense for them to deal him. 

McCoy would be an asset to the interior of the offensive line in Dallas. Connor Williams is a free agent who racked up 15 penalties last season and Tyler Bidasz committed 11.

Cleaning up the penalties has to be a top priority, and the opportunity to add McCoy at a salary of just $2.8 million for next season would be good business.

The Dallas linebacker corps should look different in 2022. Both Leighton Vander Esch and Keanu Neal are free agents, and neither did enough last year to be considered locks to come back. 

Micah Parsons is a core piece to the defense, but his production lined up as edge defender makes the Cowboys' need for off-ball linebackers even greater. 

Bringing in someone like Dre Greenlaw would be huge in that regard. He spent most of the 2021 season on the injured reserve list with a groin injury, but he looked to be as good as ever when he came back and recorded a 12-tackle game in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams.

The 24-year-old and the Niners are in a similar situation as McCoy and the Saints. He's on the final year of his rookie deal, and San Francisco might not be looking to extend him. 

After signing Fred Warner to a five-year, $92.5 million deal, the Niners might not be willing to spend big on another linebacker. Greenlaw's athleticism and ability to play in coverage would make him an ideal running mate for Parsons. 

All salary-cap and contract info via Spotrac unless otherwise noted.