The Cowboys are willing to trade running back Darren McFadden, but the price tag is said to be “significant,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. McFadden hasn’t suited up yet this season, as he’s been recovering from an offseason injury while on the non-football injury list.
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Dallas received calls on McFadden before the season even began, as rival clubs likely assumed that the veteran back wasn’t part of the picture with the Cowboys after Dallas drafted Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall and signed free agent Alfred Morris. However, a subsequent report indicated that the Cowboys didn’t have any interest in dealing McFadden, and would keep him on the roster as something of an insurance policy.
With Elliott looking like the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, there likely won’t be a role available for McFadden even if he can return to health. A rival club, then, could acquire a somewhat underpriced asset, given that McFadden rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season and will cost only the prorated portion of a $1.25MM base salary. However, his health has always been a question mark, and given that he’s injured at the moment, the risk in adding McFadden is that much greater.