Dallas Cowboys: 5 players who could be cut or traded in 2021
The Dallas Cowboys are pretty tight on 2021 salary cap space, and there could be some big names on the chopping block this offseason as a result.
The Dallas Cowboys are expected to be one of the NFL’s top bounce-back teams in the 2021 season. Although Dallas struggled even with Dak Prescott healthy in the 2020 season, the franchise QB is back and the defense is reloaded to make a run at the wide-open NFC East.
After missing the playoffs in 2020, the Cowboys are certainly going to hope that the additions they made through the 2021 NFL Draft along with the return of key players from injury will be enough to take the division, which was won by the 7-9 Washington Football team in 2020.
As things currently stand, the Dallas Cowboys are pretty tight up against the 2021 salary cap at just about $5.45 million available.
It’s at least something, but Dallas may want to get a little bit more comfortable by the time the regular season rolls around.
What moves could be made?
Dallas Cowboys cut/trade candidates in 2021
Whether their motivations are financially based or football based or some combination of both, there are a handful of players the Cowboys could let go of before the start of the 2021 regular season. Let’s take a look through five of them.
1. Jaylon Smith, LB
2021 cap number: $9.8 million
2021 cap savings if cut/traded: $0/$7.2 million
At this particular point in time, Jaylon Smith has got to be considered one of the Dallas Cowboys’ top trade candidates.
Why?
There are both financial and football motivations for the Cowboys to move on from Smith.
Dallas drafted Micah Parsons in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. For the time being, there are obvious projections of Parsons simply joining forces with Smith at inside linebacker for the Cowboys, but what about another former first-round pick in Leighton Vander Esch?
More on him later…
Smith is still just 26 years old and despite falling significantly in the 2016 NFL Draft and having to sit out his rookie season while recovering from an injury, he hasn’t missed a game in four NFL seasons since then.
In those four seasons, Smith has racked up 498 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 15 QB hits, nine sacks, and six forced fumbles.
Because of his age and production, Smith would undoubtedly attract interest on the trade market. Teams would probably jump at the chance to get him on the remaining five years of his contract, but how motivated would the Cowboys be to let him go?
They would probably need something pretty solid coming back in return for Jaylon Smith, especially considering they may favor him over Leighton Vander Esch for the future.
Still this possibility given the potential cap savings of $7.2 million and whatever asset(s) would be coming back in a trade cannot be ignored.