Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently said he’s willing to trade some of the picks acquired in the Micah Parsons trade for established veterans, and he could target Cincinnati Bengals star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. While the 2-1 Bengals currently have a better record than the 1-2 Dallas Cowboys, that could change as the season progresses. Joe Burrow is down for three months , which means the offense will live and die with former undrafted free agent Jake Browning.
So far, the team has died. While Browning was far from the biggest disappointment in Week 3’s blowout loss, the quarterback did not play well enough to offset Cincinnati’s poor offensive line and defense. This team could be out of playoff contention by the time Burrow can return to the field, which means they could try and trade superstar edge defender Trey Hendrickson.
For better or worse, the Dallas Cowboys refuse to accept they cannot compete in 2025. While the CeeDee Lamb ankle injury may be the straw that broke the camel’s back, Jerry Jones is currently not letting the 1-2 record deter from his goal of sending this team on a deep playoff run. Dak Prescott is playing some of his best football and, when healthy, the duo of Lamb and George Pickens is one of the best in the league.
The only problem is that the defense is not holding up their end of the bargain. Even if Micah Parsons had stuck around, the Cowboys would have had issues at edge defender and safety. With Parsons in Green Bay and injuries striking the secondary, the Cowboys might have the NFL’s worst defense.
The Cowboys need a game-changing defensive talent, and a Trey Hendrickson trade could be just what the doctor ordered. Now in the final year of his contract, the reigning sack leader should be motivated to earn a massive extension with another strong year of play. He’d easily be the best pass rusher on the roster, but what would it take for the Cowboys to get him?
The Cowboys could use someone like Trey Hendrickson, but the Bengals won’t trade him for nothing. Additionally, they probably won’t trade him until they’re definitively out of the playoff picture. While Week 3’s loss was rough, they’re still 2-1 and in the driver’s seat for the AFC North. While this is far from a perfect roster, they have the offensive firepower to go blow for blow with anyone, just so long as Browning can keep the ship afloat while Burrow returns to health.
With this in mind, the Bengals probably wouldn’t be willing to trade Trey Hendrickson until the trade deadline. Hendrickson is a fantastic player, but it’s hard to envision Cincinnati receiving a major return for a 30-year-old pass rusher under contract for half a season. If (and this is a big if) Dallas is still in playott contention at the deadline, they could probably get Hendrickson in exchange for a second-round pick.
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