Wednesday became this offseason’s unofficial trade deadline as several deals were struck around the league before the final week of preseason. These trades largely involved defensive tackles, wide receivers and Day 3 draft picks, and it’s time the Dallas Cowboys got in on the fun.
It was reported that multiple teams are in the market for a veteran wide receiver. The shortlist initially included the 49ers and 49ers, but Dianna Russini of The Athletic noted that the Jets are also poking around the WR trade market.
Given New York resides in the AFC they are a much more realistic trade partner for the Cowboys, who are flush with receiver depth and could look to offer Jalen Tolbert, who’s entering the final year of his rookie deal.
At first glance, a fourth-round pick might seem rich for Tolbert. However, the Saints just acquired Devaughn Vele from the Broncos for a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. Vele is only entering his second season and is already older than Tolbert. He had just 41 catches for 475 yards and three touchdowns last year as a 27-year-old rookie.
Tolbert only turned 26 in February. The former third-round pick was technically WR3 on the depth chart in 2024, but he moved into the WR2 role while Brandin Cooks was out with a knee injury and ultimately was more effective than the veteran. He finished with 49 catches for 610 yards and a team-high seven TDs. Not bad numbers considering Dak Prescott missed the final nine games.
Jonathan Mingo injury is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a PCL injury. He’ll likely start the season on injured reserve, which will knock him out the first four games. That certainly hurts Dallas’ receiver depth for the time being.
However, Jalen Brooks and Ryan Flournoy have excelled both in training camp. They would only be asked to fill the WR4 void temporarily if Tolbert were traded. Not only is KaVontae Turpin WR3, but Jake Ferguson is established as one of Prescott’s top targets.
While we understand fans who want to keep Tolbert after Mingo’s prognosis, we’d be talking about Brooks or Flournoy being the fifth option in the passing game. How many targets is Tolbert realistically going to see in this offense?
He’d step in as the Jets’ No. 2 target behind Garrett Wilson, which would give him the best chance to maximize his value before he hits free agency next March.
