The Dallas Cowboys sit at 3-3 and face a challenging matchup this Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers.
Neither team is where they expected to be at this point in the season. The 49ers have faced difficulties, while the Cowboys find themselves third in the NFC East. With the 2024 NFL trade deadline approaching, it might be an ideal time for Dallas to acquire another playmaker. Their running game needs an upgrade, leading USA Today’s Tyler Dragon to propose that the Cowboys pursue Jacksonville Jaguars star running back Travis Etienne.
“Best fit: Dallas Cowboys,” Dragon noted. “Tank Bigsby’s rise has made Etienne a surplus player. Bigsby leads the Jaguars in both rushing attempts and yards, with four plays over 20 yards compared to Etienne’s two. While Etienne is a versatile back who can catch passes, Jacksonville prefers to utilize Bigsby on inside runs.”
“The Jaguars are heading toward a rebuild, and trading Etienne could provide them with extra draft picks. With over 1,400 scrimmage yards in his first two seasons and at just 25 years old, he holds significant trade value. The Cowboys currently rank last in the NFL in rushing, averaging only 3.5 yards per carry. Ezekiel Elliott is no longer at his peak, and Rico Dowdle isn’t a viable starter. They miss Tony Pollard, who departed in free agency. Etienne could instantly fill their RB void.”
Such a trade would likely require no more than a mid-round draft pick. Etienne is on a four-year rookie contract with Jacksonville worth about $12 million, and the option for the 2025 season, valued at roughly $6 million, has already been picked up, making him available for the remainder of this season and next.
With the Cowboys holding the seventh-most cap space in the league at over $23 million, they have the financial means to acquire Etienne. Why not make the move?