The Cowboys are still only a half-game back in the race for the NFC East and could move into sole possession of first place with a win this weekend, but might they be packing it in already? Dallas has “made it known” that veteran defensive end Everson Griffen is available for trade, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.
Rapoport’s tweet makes it sound like the Cowboys are looking to unload the roughly half of his $6MM salary left on the books to a contending team. It’s perhaps the biggest sign yet of just how disastrous things have gotten for the Cowboys in such a short amount of time. Just a few weeks ago the notion of Dallas being sellers at the trade deadline would’ve been unfathomable. If this report is true, then it’ll be interesting to see what other moves they might make before next Tuesday.
For a team that entered the year with Super Bowl aspirations, it’s a pretty dramatic admission of defeat. Obviously the impact of Dak Prescott‘s injury can’t be overstated, but the defense has been a complete mess and the coaching staff led by Mike McCarthy appears on the verge of losing the locker room.
Griffen, 33 in December, signed with the Cowboys in August looking to compete for a title. He’s been playing a little over half of the defensive snaps this season, racking up 20 tackles and 2.5 sacks through seven games. Griffen has made the Pro Bowl in four of the past five seasons, including last year when he had eight sacks with Minnesota, so a number of contenders could be interested despite his relatively advanced age.
There are a handful of suitors that make sense, as teams like the Seahawks and Cardinals look in line for playoff spots but don’t have much of a pass-rush. We heard the Cardinals were interested in him as a free agent earlier this offseason and they’re now without star pass-rusher Chandler Jones for the rest of the year, so they could make a lot of sense. The Packers were another team engaged in discussions with the USC product as recently as late July.
All of this being said, the report is apparently news to Griffen himself. Griffen said “I don’t think the Cowboys want to trade me. I haven’t heard that,” when asked by Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link). Meanwhile a source told Anderson that teams have called, but the Cowboys haven’t “shopped him officially.” Assuming he is shipped out it would mean more playing time for Randy Gregory, who only played six defensive snaps this past weekend in his first action since 2018.
Why is this a shock? The entire defensive line is 2nd and 3rd stringers along with our 3rd string QB. Not to mention the defensive injuries
*Offensive, not defensive line
They need to shop Mike McCarthy. It’s clear those players don’t want to play for him.
Ok. And then since this is a rumor site, I might as well break the news that Jerry loves Jason Garett…
I figured the Cowboys would be shopping everyone.
As bad as they’ve been, they’re only a half game out of first place. Jerry won’t start a rebuild when he’s so close to first place.
He might be close to first place, but really… Winning the NFC East is nothing more than a ticket to get blown away in the first round. So what??
Tear it down or just let the D keep playing Th e way it is and we could get Trevor Lawrence and not have to pay a QB $40 million a year or $36 million on the franchise tag. I love Dak but we have too much money invested on the O. We need to build a competent
Great plan but the Jets would have to win 3 games. Not happening. We will be top 10, but #1 pick isn’t happening.
Jets only need to win 2… they beat the cowboys last year
Josina Anderson isn’t with ESPN anymore….
Who?
A really well known player. Clearly, you do not follow the NFL. It’s okay, you are just ignorant.
cowboy fans all over please understand that this defense and its efforts are deplorable. Griffin isn’t the problem but clearly isn’t the answer either. maybe Jones should look in trading Lawrence first. over paid and under performs! says all the right things but never has a presence. aldon Smith is fighting through battle fatigue. Jay Smith for as much as a heart warming story cant cover nor tackle. our secondary resembles a high school teams and our entire team plays with no heart or emotion and that falls on the HC! Dalton takes a dirty senseless hit and not one player gets in Bostic face? the entire O line should apologize as they were embarrassed the entire game. internally and with the injuries we can’t mend all the needs this year. simply use it as a inspection year and move on
Ha ha stupid cowboys
And you, arrogant.
Sounds like he is the unnamed source talking about the team?