FRISCO — The Dallas Cowboys’ recent history gives their audience plenty of decisions to mock or gripe at. Frankly, it is commonplace for the Cowboys to find themselves on the wrong side of most deals they are involved in.
Last week though that was not the case. The Cowboys traded for Joe Milton III, ensuring the depth behind Dak Prescott while giving themselves an enticing developmental project behind the starter.
That brilliant of a move started the hysteria and left critics bewildered. Some have even settled on the team trading Prescott coming out of this trade.
Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert finds himself among that contingent and proposed a trade for Dallas to find a piece equal in value to Prescott. He thinks Dallas should trade their franchise quarterback and their first-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for their own first-rounder and T.J. Watt.
“Steelers get a QB and avoid the contract + get pick #12 Cowboys get Pick #21 + Watt & get to (see) what Milton can do,” Benkert wrote on X. “They’d have the best D line in the NFL and would give them an actual chance in the NFC East.”
The enthusiasm is admirable but this move is better suited for use on a Madden video game. In case the public backing or Prescott’s massive contract extension was not enough, the Cowboys are not moving off their quarterback in the foreseeable future.
Simply entertaining this idea though, it is hard to wrap one’s mind around the Cowboys acquiring another contract headache on the defensive side. Watt is throwing some not-so-subtle hints at the Steelers, wanting his own pay day.
The short version of the finances here? Moving Dak would cost Dallas $148 million in dead money. And acquiring Watt would likely cost $160 million – his likely wish for a new four-year deal at $40 million APY.
The Cowboys themselves are working through their own extension dealings with Micah Parsons. … with $40 million also a magic number.
Watt and Parsons together would make for quite the formidable duo, but Dallas would sacrifice financially the ability to do business … and would be asking Joe Milton to carry the offense.
Dallas made a good move and has a fun backup option to Prescott. And that’s about where this ends.
