FanPost

Can the Cowboys Work Out a Trade with Da Bears? Or Get Value for a Young WR?

As a Cowboys fan in the Windy City, today's news that ex-Cowboy Martellus Bennett had gotten himself suspended over a training camp throw down with Bears first round draft pick Kyle Fuller didn't surprise me. Bennett never lived up to expectations as a second round pick in Dallas and was a questionable choice from the start since being stuck behind Jason Witten on the depth chart was a given and something not many 20 year olds would have the maturity to handle. When the New York Football Giants then led by current Cowboys tight ends coach Mike Pope let Marty B go despite tremendous improvement on the field over his lack of production in Dallas, I figured there may have been problems off the field for Bennett with the Giants.

What I found more interesting today was the news that the Bears lost their second year receiver Marquess Wilson to a broken collar bone -- the first season threatening or ending injury for the Bears this camp.

Could the Bears be on the lookout for a third wide receiver who could back up big men Alshon Jeffrey and Brandon Marshall? Driving home listening to ESPN 1000 this evening, the hosts were speculating about the Bears bringing back reliable possession/slot receiver Earl Bennett, but Bennett hasn't signed with any other NFL team yet as a free agent. When I look at the Bears depth chart on OurLads.com, none of the backups stand out in terms of having Marshall or Jeffrey-like size or speed. The next bigger backup receiver the Bears have on their current roster is some guy named Dale Moss who played at South Dakota State and who has bounced around between the Packers, Panthers and Bears rosters. All the others look like smaller slot guys similar to Bennett.

Enter the Dallas Cowboys. We know that there are some similarities between Scott Linehan's multiple sets offense and Bears head coach Marc Trestman's system. We also know Dallas currently has two big receivers making plays in camp, 2nd year man LaRon Byrd and Vanderbilt UDFA rookie Chris Boyd. Dallas MAY be able to keep one of these guys if the team rolls with 6 wide receivers. But given this Front Office's commitment to RB Ryan Williams (which implies keeping 4 running backs since Joseph Randle doesn't appear to be going anywhere) and the urgent need for more bodies at defensive end or at cornerback, I'd say being able to keep both Byrd and Boyd will prove impossible. Particularly if both young men make plays in preseason games generating more positive film that WR needy teams like the Johnny Football Browns, Tennessee Locker-last chance Titans, Oakland Raiders or even (ahem) the San Francisco 49ers could find worthy of a waiver claim (since former Missouri star La'Damian Washington is likely headed for the Niners practice squad).

Boyd in particular seems to be a guy that even if he makes it to the Cowboys practice squad could get snatched up early in the season if more veteran receivers go down around the league -- Boyd's college tape shows more production than Byrd's despite Byrd being the better size/speed athlete. While there will be plenty of talented receivers looking for work after the cut down to 53 early September, it seems to me either Boyd or more likely Byrd could be a quality backup to Jeffrey and Marshall. Having more time in Trestman's system and enough preseason study to understand the terminology would give Byrd a leg up over another big receiver brought in come September.

So Dallas has a surplus of talent at wide receiver, while the Bears have a sudden need at that position with a surplus of depth elsewhere. Who do you like on the Bears roster that could help the Cowboys? My personal favorite would be former Oakland Raider and Division II star defensive end David Bass, currently a long shot to win the 5th and final DE spot on the Bears roster. Alternatively I'd take veteran backup left tackle Eben Britton for some veteran insurance in case Jermey Parnell becomes a cap casualty or Darrion Weems is placed on IR.

What say you BTBers? Would you take either of these bottom of the roster guys or would you aim for a late round draft pick in return for LaRon Byrd or Chris Boyd?

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