The Dallas Cowboys are heading into the kind of roster squeeze that forces hard calls, and with preseason Week 3 here, a few names are already standing out as possible trade pieces.
Dallas added plenty of depth this offseason, which makes the climb to the 53-man roster even steeper for some returning players. That kind of logjam can leave useful contributors on the outside looking in - the sort of players another team might happily take off the Cowboys’ hands before cutdowns.
Markquese Bell is one of those names to watch. He was held out of the second preseason game, a move that strongly suggests he’s on track to make the roster.
It could also mean Dallas didn’t want to risk an injury if Bell becomes part of trade discussions. The former undrafted free agent has carved out a reputation as a steady presence in a secondary that’s changed often, and he even showed enough flexibility to work at linebacker under Dan Quinn.
The ideal outcome is simple: keep him. But if the Cowboys have to make painful decisions, Bell could draw interest.
Jonathan Mingo has also forced his way into the conversation. He’s put together one solid showing after another this summer, and his 53-yard touchdown on Saturday was a reminder of why he went in the second round in 2023. He’s still battling for a place on a crowded depth chart, and that production could make him attractive to teams looking for help at receiver.
Marist Liufau looks like another player whose path got tougher fast. The moment Dallas signed Von Miller, his roster outlook became much less certain.
Cowboys On SI’s Josh Sanchez called Liufau the most obvious trade candidate after the Miller move. Liufau spent his first two seasons in a traditional linebacker role before shifting to the edge under Christian Parker.
He’s improved every week, but the Cowboys’ depth may leave him without a spot on the 53, which is why a trade could make more sense than losing him for nothing.
Luke Schoonmaker rounds out the list. The 2023 second-round pick still hasn’t matched his draft slot, and he has slipped behind Brevyn Spann-Ford on the depth chart.
Even so, he’s made the most of his chances, including Saturday night when he caught one pass for 19 yards before exiting. The key question now is whether he can beat out Michael Trigg for the TE3 job.
If Trigg ends up with the edge, Dallas could look to see whether a team needing tight end help would part with a Day 3 pick for Schoonmaker.
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For Dallas, the details are almost beside the point. Any time a division rival invests premium draft capital and then sees the early returns wobble, it invites the kind of unflattering comparisons that stick around, and Stowers has already been mentioned in the same breath as JJ Arcega-Whiteside, another second-round Eagles pick who never lived up to the billing. The bigger issue for Philadelphia is immediate pressure, because the injuries around him leave the rookie with even less margin for error as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
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Cowboys Suddenly Face A Tough QB Roster Decision
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Todd Archer of ESPN projects that possibility, and it speaks to how much the backup battle has shifted from a routine depth issue to a real decision point. The Cowboys still have not settled the spot behind Prescott, and with the preseason winding down, the outcome is less about naming a favorite and more about deciding whether either Howell or Milton has done enough to force an extra quarterback onto the roster. [Read more 🡒]