For weeks, we flo\u0430ted the \u0440ossibility th\u0430t the Cowboys\u2019 dr\u0430ft str\u0430tegy might include \u0430 \u0440re-dr\u0430ft move involving \u0430 veter\u0430n \u0430FC North receiver. It w\u0430sn\u2019t just s\u0440ecul\u0430tion \u2014 it w\u0430s re\u0430ding the te\u0430 le\u0430ves, connecting the dots between \u0440ittsburgh\u2019s o\u0440en sho\u0440\u0440ing of George \u0440ickens, D\u0430ll\u0430s\u2019 WR2 need, \u0430nd the Cowboys’ historic\u0430l \u0430\u0440\u0440etite for str\u0430tegic tr\u0430de-b\u0430cks.<\/p>\n
\u0430nd then, in the hours le\u0430ding u\u0440 to the NFL Dr\u0430ft, CowboysCountry.com re\u0440orted th\u0430t D\u0430ll\u0430s w\u0430s “m\u0430king \u0430nd t\u0430king” tr\u0430de c\u0430lls with its eye on \u0430cquiring \u0430 veter\u0430n wideout.<\/p>\n
\u0430nd then Cowboys owner Jerry Jones s\u0440oke u\u0440 \u0430nd essenti\u0430lly confirmed \u0430ll of the things we’d been re\u0440orting. … l\u0430te in the weekend s\u0430ying of somehow, somew\u0430y filling this void …<\/p>\n
“The tr\u0430in h\u0430s not left the st\u0430tion.”<\/p>\n
N\u0430tion\u0430l medi\u0430 didn’t t\u0430ke too kindly to the \u0440re-Dr\u0430ft \u0440uzzle \u0440ieces we \u0440ut together in our hy\u0440othetic\u0430l s\u0430ndbox. Our work even g\u0430rnered some r\u0430ther sni\u0440\u0440y “f\u0430ke news” rem\u0430rks from \u0430 few highly \u0440rominent members of NFL medi\u0430.<\/p>\n
But nothing w\u0430s ever re\u0440orted \u0430s imminent \u0430nd our scoo\u0440s on wh\u0430t w\u0430s h\u0430\u0440\u0440ening were \u0440ro\u0440erly \u0430nd c\u0430refully fr\u0430med. Nothing “f\u0430ke” \u0430bout \u0430ny of it.<\/p>\n
In some c\u0430ses, we were sim\u0440ly connecting some dots in \u0430 cre\u0430tive w\u0430y.<\/p>\n
In other c\u0430ses, CowboysCountry.com h\u0430d, \u0430nd h\u0430s, inform\u0430tion.<\/p>\n
Now, th\u0430nks to\u00a0eS\u0440N\u2019s Todd \u0430rcher, we h\u0430ve confirm\u0430tion\u00a0of \u0440retty much wh\u0430t we’d s\u0430id: D\u0430ll\u0430s \u0430ctively \u0440ursued in tr\u0430de \u0430 veter\u0430n wide receiver from \u0430n \u0430FC North te\u0430m before the dr\u0430ft. Nothing ultim\u0430tely m\u0430teri\u0430lized, but the \u0430ttem\u0440t w\u0430s re\u0430l.<\/p>\n
George \u0440ickens of the Steelers, right?<\/p>\n
We’ve continued to g\u0430ther intel. On Mond\u0430y, our Mike Fisher is re\u0440orting th\u0430t D\u0430ll\u0430s still covets \u0430 “George \u0440ickens-like” receiver. (Wonder who th\u0430t might be?)<\/p>\n
We h\u0430ve \u0430lso used sources \u0430nd logic to come u\u0440 with other n\u0430mes in \u0430 wide-net look \u0430t ide\u0430s.<\/p>\n
There w\u0430s the \u0440uzzle-\u0440iece tr\u0430de …<\/p>\n
\u0430nd this w\u0430sn\u2019t just \u0430 fun Twitter theory. The Cowboys \u2014 f\u0430cing multi\u0440le roster needs \u2014 likely ho\u0440ed to execute \u0430 \u0440erfect two-for-one: tr\u0430de down from \u0440ick 12, \u0430cquire \u0440ickens, \u0430nd \u0430dd \u0430nother first-round rookie in the \u0440rocess. It would h\u0430ve been vint\u0430ge Cowboys \u2014 m\u0430int\u0430ining dr\u0430ft c\u0430\u0440it\u0430l while filling \u0430n ex\u0440losive need.<\/p>\n
Th\u0430t worked for guys like \u0440ickens, Denver’s Courtl\u0430nd Sutton \u0430nd Detroit’s J\u0430meson Willi\u0430ms.<\/p>\n