On the subject of the Dallas Cowboys being “buyers” as we approach the start of the NFL business year – with the trade market open now and free agency shopping set to start on March 12 – fans of “America’s Team” have no problem telling the truth about what they think of Dallas’ chances when it comes to the acquisition of any rumored big name.
In short, skepticism abounds.
Meanwhile, fans of the Philadelphia Eagles harbor no such skepticism. They’ve seen GM Howie Roseman’s roster-building aggressiveness – which flies in the face of the Jones’ frugality in Dallas – lead to two Super Bowl berths in the last three years.
And they just crowned themselves champion.
Philly has earned the right to dream big. Dallas? Not so much.
And now along comes a shop-and-compare opportunity for both franchises, as Browns superstar defensive end Myles Garrett wants out of Cleveland.
The six-time Pro Bowler has said it with class. But he’s said it loudly. And often. He toured Super Bowl Week Media Row to spread the message.
He wants out. Now, where does he want in?
The Eagles situation is such that a media insider like Jason La Canfora can almost suggest playfully that Garrett to Philly is a done deal.
“Howie Roseman has built a monster,” La Canfora wrote. “Can’t wait to see what it looks like with Myles Garrett in 2025.”
That is obviously jumping the gun. But indisputably, the Eagles have earned a reputation for aggressiveness in the past few years when it comes to free agency and trades.
Jerry Jones – once known for being a risk-taking “wild-catter” who transferred that attitude from drilling oil wells to winning three Super Bowls – has lost that reputation.
There is a fit in Philly because their defense, led by young tackle Jalen Carter, is in a sweet spot in which another Super Bowl title seems very much within reach. Garrett’s fastest path to a ring would come in a trade to Philadelphia.
There is a fit in in Dallas, too, if you listen to team leaders like Micah Parsons and Dak Prescott, who might want to put the following “very close” bug in the ear of Myles, who is a DFW native from Arlington who grew up a Cowboys fan and is a proud Texas A&M guy …
“I feel like we compete with the Eagles and beat them, for the most part, when we’ve played them,” Prescott said this week. “I don’t want to say ‘Check the record’ when they’re the guys holding the trophy right now. Credit to them, they’ve earned it and deserve it by all means. But yeah, very close.”
The nature of Garrett’s five-year, $125 million contract is an obstacle to all of this. And so is the trade cost for the 29-year-old perennial Defensive Player of the Year finalist. But for the moment, let’s avoid getting lost in the weeds.
There is a bottom line to any predicted tug-of-war in the NFC East (with Washington maybe also in play) over the talents of Myles Garrett. And that bottom line is this:
Eagles fans feel they can absolutely count on their GM making a phone call to Cleveland. That’s the way Howie always does business.
Cowboys fans would like to be able to count on the same from their GM … which means a change in the way Jerry too-often does business.