No a Dak trade is not going to happen, but the value calculations are interesting.

Diggs is a big part of why the Cowboys defense is dominant. He's been a good not great CB since being drafted, he's a ball hawk and I think that makes QB's a bit hesitant to throw at him. Getting Stephon Gilmore for the other side was a major acquisition since with 2 cover CB's, it's harder to get the ball downfield. QB's end up with more dink throws and that is what you want. Keep the ball in front of you, make the tackle, the more plays an offense has to run to score, the more things go wrong.

So the issues now with Diggs out, start with whether this defense was going to carry the Cowboys to a Lombardi trophy. It's looked that way so far. Parsons is unblockable, they are better at DT, Vander Esch is his healthy self and the secondary just keeps emerging. Quinn will be gone soon because of the job he does with a defense.

So do you want to go down a half notch and start Bland - and maybe he emerges as just as good - or do you want to lock in the dominance on a Win Now team, and go get a proven CB.

If the defense is winning games, do you want to bank on Rush to drive the offensive bus and glom Dak off for that proven CB? I don't have a player in mind and as suggested it's not going to happen. This is Dak's year to win the conference or be run out of Dodge. Yet I don't trust Dak after September, and would do it for the right player.

Btw, you tell Dak he's not in your future plans, you're moving on to the Lance Era next year, and he accepts a trade to a team that wants him to start.

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Russ_Te_ is the Cowboys screen name for Roy Greenfield / site author of the mid-2000's board "Cowboy Saloon"

- where the bar fights were legendary...