The Dallas Cowboys trade-back scenario for a second wide receiver rumors seem to be creeping out among fans.
As all fans know, the Cowboys front office has brought in one wide receiver who has had a lackluster career, and that is being generous.
Parris Campbell will not put any fear into opposing defenses. He can be a deep threat, but he has shown throughout his seven-year career that he is not a game-changer.
This signing shows that the Cowboys’ front office has not changed, and they still choose to go cheap when signing players.
Several options are still available on the free-agent market, including Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, and Tyler Locket.
The Dallas Cowboys front office could take an entirely different approach: avoid these big-name receivers and trade back in the NFL Draft.
A trade back with a couple of teams could lead to a top receiver who has established themselves in the NFL while staying in the draft’s first round.
Call Up the LA Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers may be a good phone call to make before the draft begins.
The Chargers have an underperforming first-round draft pick on their roster, and rumors started in January that they may be ready to move on.
Quentin Johnston entered the league in the 2023 NFL Draft as the 22nd selection.
In two years with LA, he has 1,142 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns, and an average of 12.3 yards per reception.
He plays outside 88% of the time, which would mesh well with CeeDee Lamb. One of the complaints about Johnston is drops, but he has only dropped 7.9% of his passes in the NFL.
At 6’4” and 215 pounds, Quentin Johnston is a big receiver with enough speed to get downfield and run slants.
Johnston is big, fast, quick, and a yard after the catch threat. This would be a great complement to Lamb with the Cowboys.
For every lousy play Quentin Johnston makes, he makes up for it with a big play, but having CeeDee Lamb take some of the heat across the middle from the slot would open the field for Johnston.
Here is one of his bad plays, which is a ball that should have been caught:
Quentin Johnston with the BRICKS for hands
— ًBoltUpYo (@BoltUpYo) December 3, 2023
This is what the good side of Quentin Johnston can bring:
Quentin Johnston with a HUGE play!#RatedRookie | #BoltUp pic.twitter.com/ZTG7vlIKfO
— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) December 11, 2023
A downfield threat with his size and athleticism could create a new element to the offense.
If the Chargers are ready to move on from their young receiver, prying him away may not take much.
A first-round pick swap would more than make up for Quentin Johnston’s age and contract.
The Cowboys would move from pick 12 to pick 22 in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Get the Broncos on the Phone
The Denver Broncos could be looking to make a move with their number one receiver in the final year of his contract.
Courtland Sutton is 29 years old and will be entering the final year of his four-year, $60.8 million contract, which was signed in 2021.
He skipped the voluntary portion of the team’s offseason workouts last year, but in the final year of the deal, this could lead to a trade, which could benefit the Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys offense would be getting a legitimate number two receiver in Courtland Sutton.
A player of Sutton’s caliber has not been with the Cowboys or with CeeDee Lamb since the Cowboys traded away Amari Cooper and would be the perfect running mate.
Courtland Sutton is a big receiver at 6’4” and 216 pounds and plays primarily on the outside but can be moved around.
The versatility could lead to some creative offensive concepts for the Cowboys.
A player of Sutton’s abilities would bring a receiver who averages 774 yards, 4.5 touchdowns, and 14.1 yards per reception. These numbers would be much higher if not for the injury season 2020.
The best part about Sutton is his quarterbacks have a 91.2 quarterback rating when throwing in his direction.
#Broncos WR Courtland Sutton has put together a pretty dope highlight reel this season. pic.twitter.com/GzjOAnShsS
— Ryan McFadden (@ryanmcfadden_) November 23, 2023
How can the Cowboys make this trade work? A first round pick swap would get Courtland Sutton to Dallas.
Depending on how the draft falls and Jeanty is gone, if Golden is available at pick 12:
• #Cowboys should trade No. 12 to Broncos for No. 20 & Courtland Sutton
• #Broncos can draft a WR that fits perfectly with Bo Nix and won’t have to pay Sutton
• Cowboys can then draft… pic.twitter.com/DWJ12oxRZI
— Attack! on Cowboys ✭ (@AttackOnCowboys) March 20, 2025
The Cowboys would move from pick 12 to pick 20. The other thing that would need to get finished is a new deal for the receiver.
Without a new contract, the Cowboys would take on $14,017,000, leaving the Cowboys’ cap space at over $28,000,000.
A new contract could be in the range of four-years and $70,000,000, which would be about $17,500,000 a year.
This is absolutely a scenario that could happen if the Cowboy’s front office opens the checkbook.
The beautiful thing about both of these trades, is that it would still allow the Cowboys to draft a running back such as Omarion Hampton later in the first round.
Picking up a solid number two wide receiver and staying in the first round of the draft would be an amazing job by the front office.
It would assuredly make this offseason the best in several years.