The possibility that the Cowboys will dangle Michael Gallup as trade bait in the draft

Welcome to draft week. The big event of the offseason is almost here. Soon there will be no more waiting. No more speculating. On Thursday, April 29, we will finally know one way or another what the Dallas Cowboys will do with the 10th overall pick in the first round.

But that’s not what we’re going to talk about today. Today, let’s shift the focus a little bit off of draft picks and instead shine the spotlight on Michael Gallup. He could play a big role in what the Dallas Cowboys do in the draft, and then again, maybe not.

One of the hottest topics around Cowboys Nation this offseason has centered around number 13 and what his future might be with the Cowboys organization. With him entering the final year of his rookie contract, there’s been quite a bit of speculation he could be on the trade block.

Up to this point the idea of trading Michael Gallup has been nothing more than unsubstantiated speculation based on than the fact he’s in a contract year. No one knows whether or not the Cowboys have him in their future plans, hence the speculation. So that’s what we will do… speculate.

The Blogging The Boys crew discussed the idea of whether or not the Cowboys should trade Michael Gallup during the draft on our special BTB Roundtable episode.

Being a young, proven commodity in the NFL could make Gallup a highly sought after trade target by many teams around the league, particularly those who believe themselves Super Bowl contenders. For the Cowboys, that could be good news if they intend to put him on the trade block.

At best, the Cowboys are looking at a late third-round compensatory pick in 2022 if they let Michael Gallup walk after the season. That’s basically what they received when Byron Jones decided to join the Miami Dolphins as a free agent last year and the highest comp pick a team can actually receive.

A 2022 third-rounder for a former 2018 third-round pick basically means the Dallas Cowboys might rent Gallup’s services for four years. That’s not a bad trade-off considering his production, however, the compensation they could receive by trading him at some point in the NFL draft should be even better.

As a potential “missing piece” for many teams around the league, Gallup could net the Cowboys much more than a third-round pick. Again, that’s pretty much what they’ll get by letting him go next year, so to trade him early they’d be looking to receive better compensation and teams should already be aware of that.

More than likely the Cowboys are probably seeking a second-round pick this year and might possibly accept a low third-rounder. That’s the floor. The ceiling though could be as high as a late first-rounder depending on the interest and if a bidding war gets started. That’s probably wishful thinking, however, not completely out of the question.

Instead of waiting for teams to come to them, though, the Cowboys could be the aggressor and use Gallup to move up in the draft, possibly part of a package deal or as an individual. It’s unlikely they’d do such a thing, but it is worth keeping in mind.

This is all a lot to take in, but definitely worth keeping an eye on when the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft gets underway Thursday, April 29. The Cowboys would be wise to keep all options on the table and that includes trading Gallup or anyone else. Whether any of this happens remains to be seen.