Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is at it again. After trying real hard, but failing to get Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch at the back-end of the 2016 NFL Draft's first round, Jones and Co. are once again hot on the trail of a trade up.
It will be interesting to see if they're willing to part with what it takes to move up to their desired slot this time.
Per an early Friday afternoon report, the Cowboys and Cleveland Browns are discussing a trade for the first pick in the second round, No. 32. The report suggests that the "likely" target is a pass-rusher, but if the Cowboys wanted so desperately to move up and nab Lynch, then wouldn't it make sense for the pick to be a quarterback?
Then again, targeting position over best player available is how good franchises go bad, so it's entirely possible that the report is right and pass rusher is the plan if the Cowboys pull off the trade.
Coming out of the first round with running back Ezekiel Elliott was important for Dallas, even if it failed to address the team's more pressing needs. Elliott immediately slots in at the top of the ball carrying depth chart and should provide an electrifying presence for the Cowboys that takes some of the pressure off quarterback Tony Romo to be the engine that drives the offense.
But on the other side of the ball, Rod Marinelli is desperately in need of talent at both defensive end and corner. DeMarcus Lawrence is reportedly facing a four-game suspension. Randy Gregory has already been slapped with a ban, and Greg Hardy is off somewhere wondering why the NFL won't give him another chance.
At corner, the team was forced to bring disappointing first-round pick Morris Claiborne back on a one-year deal, and Brandon Carr got another season to ensure that the Cowboys weren't entirely bereft of talent at the position after 2016. With Orlando Scandrick still working his way back from a serious knee injury, it really wouldn't be surprising to see cornerback or pass rusher be the choice.
Players like Clemson's Kevin Dodd and Boise State's Kamalei Correa, a pure speed pass rusher, remain available, as do corners Mackensie Alexander and Kendall Fuller, as well as a plethora of safeties like T.J. Green, Vonn Bell and Darian Thompson.
Heck, even Myles Jack remains on the board. Are the Cowboys comfortable enough with his medical issues to take a flier on his immense talent?
We'll know soon, but whatever happens, it's clear that the Cowboys have a specific player targeted at the top of round two, and the Browns, who have already turned the second-overall pick into two first's, two second's, three three's and more, are determined to add to their massive cache (11 at this point) of picks.
