The Dallas Cowboys are being called on to replace Amari Cooper with another star wide receiver. Despite the Seahawks public support for DK Metcalf, there continues to be rumblings that Seattle may be willing to trade the playmaker if a team makes an enticing offer. Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher suggests the Cowboys explore a potential trade for Metcalf rather than drafting a wideout at No. 24.
“Seattle is publicly saying that Metcalf is not on the trade block,” Fisher wrote on April 3, 2022. “But the rumors aren’t going away. Rather than use a first-round pick on a receiver to team with CeeDee Lamb with the hope that the rookie will become a star catching passes from Dak Prescott. Why not use that first-round pick to trade more a sure thing in Metcalf?
“…Want ‘bold’ (as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones insists he still is)? There have already been blockbuster trades in the NFL this offseason, some boldly involving star wide receivers (Davante Adams to the Raiders, Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins). ‘Bold’ is winning the arms race. The team that trades for Metcalf, should Seattle choose to move him, will be announcing its entry into that arms race.”
#Seahakws star WR DK Metcalf can be had at "the right price" despite the team saying he's not available, league executives tell @JFowlerESPN pic.twitter.com/GspSP68zBK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 3, 2022
Metcalf posted 155 receptions for 2,270 yards and 22 touchdowns during the last two seasons with the Seahawks. Equally impressive is the fact that Metcalf has not missed a game during his three NFL seasons as the wide receiver played through a foot injury during 2021. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, some NFL executives believe Metcalf can be acquired for the “right price” as the Seahawks enter the post-Russell Wilson era.
“This starts with DK Metcalf right now, he is a name that’s been buzzing in league circles in a big way,” Fowler noted during an April 3 edition of “SportsCenter.” “I’ve talked to some executives who think that maybe he would welcome a change or maybe Seattle might be willing to move him at the right price.
“But on the same token, the team has made publicly clear that they want to re-sign him, and I’m told Metcalf has got some indications behind the scenes that they want to keep him in their long-term plans. So, something has to give, but it is all about the contract. He’s a year away from free agency, would be big money.”
It is fun for Cowboys fans to envision Metcalf playing alongside CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. Yet, the chances of Dallas making this “bold” move are slim for two key reasons. Namely, the Cowboys just traded Cooper to rid themselves of his $60 million over the next three years. Metcalf’s $3.9 million salary for 2021 is much cheaper than Cooper but that will likely change in 2023 when the star wideout has a new deal.
Secondly, are the Cowboys willing to give up the significant draft capital needed to acquire Metcalf? The Cowboys would likely need to trade multiple first-round picks for Metcalf like we saw when the Raiders landed Davante Adams. Dallas has been vocal about their desire to use these picks to fill out their roster with more affordable players in order to offset the large salaries of stars like Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott.
For Cowboys fans holding out hope that the team will consider making a trade for a playmaker, there is this nugget to ponder. Dallas dealt Cooper to the Browns, in part, because they did not believe his play was living up to the $20 million price tag. If Metcalf or A.J. Brown become available via trade, the Cowboys might have a different stance for a younger receiver producing at a high level who has yet to reach their peak.
