2 trades and 1 free agent signing the Cowboys should make to help the 2022 roster

The 2022 NFL Draft may be over, but there are still players out there who the Dallas Cowboys should go after to help complete the roster for the upcoming season. Whether it’s signing a few more free agents or acquiring talent via trade, the Cowboys should start being aggressive in order to put together the best possible roster from top to bottom.

Today, we’re going to identify three moves the Dallas Cowboys should make to complete the roster for the upcoming 2022 season. There are two trades they should absolutely consider making and a free agent they could possibly already have their eyes on.

LB Anthony Barr

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Minus Micah Parsons, who should pick up right where he left off after a historic rookie season, the Dallas Cowboys have some serious concerns depth-wise at the linebacker position. Leighton Vander Esch has a concerning injury history and Jabril Cox is still trying to work his way back from his own season-ending injury in 2021. Both players are expected to play a significant role this season, but neither can be really trusted.

What’s worse, the depth behind them is severely lacking of any kind of starting-caliber players. Because of that, the linebacker position is in desperate need of another player capable of stepping in if/when needed, and former Minnesota Vikings LB Anthony Barr is among the best available options still on the open market. And believe it or not, he’s already been suggested as a potential free agent addition for the Cowboys.

Over the last half-decade, Barr has been one of the best linebackers in the NFC when on the field. Unfortunately, he’s missed 24 games over the last five seasons, however, most of those were in 2020, when he only played two. Barr has accumulated 495 tackles, 17.5 sacks, and five interceptions. That production and experience could prove invaluable for the Cowboys.

WR Deonte Harris

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With Amari Cooper shipped to the Cleveland Browns earlier this offseason, and with Michael Gallup expected to miss several games to start the 2022 season, the Dallas Cowboys are pinning their hopes on CeeDee Lamb stepping up in a big way in Year 3 to become their No. 1 wide receiver. While there is little doubt he can thrive in that role, the main concern with Dallas’ passing game is the unknown depth behind him.

James Washington and Jalen Tolbert could prove to be capable No. 2 and No. 3 receivers early on for the Cowboys, but that’s a pretty big leap of faith considering they both are new additions this offseason. With that in mind, Dallas may want to look outside the organization for more WR help, and while there are some intriguing names still available on the open market, none of them bring the same kind of skill set as Deonte Harris would.

Harris will be playing under a one-year deal with the Saints in 2022 and currently finds himself buried on the depth chart. Because of that, he could be acquired via trade and Dallas should jump at the opportunity. Harris could be a veteran who can be a WR, gadget player, and return specialist. That kind of triple-threat is exactly what they need.

DT Trysten Hill

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It’s easy to forget trades work two ways because acquiring players is generally a lot more fun than trading them away. In the case of Trysten Hill, a player currently buried on the depth chart, trading him away could be killing two birds with one stone for the Cowboys. By trading, instead of releasing him, they’d get something in return, quite possibly another player who fills another need on the roster.

With younger players behind him on the depth chart, who were actually drafted by this coaching regime, Hill is facing an uphill battle to even make the final 53-man roster. He could be used as trade bait for a player like Deonte Harris, who we talked about earlier. Defensive tackle is one of the Saints current roster needs and a veteran WR is arguably one of Dallas’ as well. It could be a win-win trade for both organizations.

Even if some version of a trade involving Trysten Hill and Deonte Harris isn’t doable, the Cowboys DT could be of value to some other team looking for a young, talented player to upgrade their defensive front. While this may not be viewed as a move that helps complete Dallas’ roster, it does provide more opportunities for some of the Cowboys younger DTs to prove themselves and potentially gives them some compensation instead of releasing him outright.