Cowboys working on two 'substantive' trades? Here are 5 players they should target

Leave it to Jerry Jones to drum up the intrigue. The Cowboys owner and general manager has long been famous for headline-grabbing quotes. So, why would this week be any different?

Jones and the rest of the Cowboys' brain trust held the team's annual pre-draft press conference Tuesday, handling questions about their needs, wants and dreams for the upcoming festivities.

True to his style, Jones raised eyebrows not when talking about the picks he would make, but the trades that he could. 

"We're looking at two things that could happen before or after the draft," Jones told reporters. "Two pretty substantive trades. Been working on today."

That stands out for two obvious reasons.

First, the idea that something could happen after the draft. Transactions that take place before the draft begins Thursday could include anything, but a trade after the draft would almost certainly be a maneuver for a veteran player, rather than 2026 draft capital. Second is the all-important word "substantive."

The Cowboys are not strangers to minor dealings around the league. Just last month, they acquired cornerback Kaiir Elam and linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. in swaps of Day 3 draft picks. Respectfully, those don't qualify as "substantive" moves. 

To get substantive, you'd have to at least acquire proven difference-makers. The capital they traded to acquire Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore on the eve of the 2023 draft wasn't eye-popping because of the size of their contracts, but it was a boon to add two certified starters with a few short phone calls.

As far as true blockbusters go, you'd have to think all the way back to 2018, when they traded a first-round pick for Amari Cooper. And that decision came in October, when their season was on the