Cowboys say they turned down trade offers for McFadden, Morris

Cowboys say they turned down trade offers for McFadden, Morris

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 28, 2016, 6:15 AM EDT


After spending the fourth overall pick in the draft on running back Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys fielded calls about whether they wanted to trade one of their veteran backs. But they said no.

That’s the word from Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones, who says teams called asking about trading for Darren McFadden or Alfred Morris, but the Cowboys wanted to keep them.

“We got calls during the draft asking to trade for a couple of our running backs, and we just don’t have that interest,” Jones said, via the Star-Telegram.

McFadden, who is coming off a 1,089-yard season, is heading into the final year of his contract and has a $2.15 million cap hit. The Cowboys just signed Morris to a two-year, $3.5 million contract in March. Both players are affordable and have been productive, which could make them worth something in a trade.

So it wouldn’t be surprising to hear McFadden and Morris mentioned in trade talks again. Even if, for now, the Cowboys aren’t interested.

Seriously though, you'll never get what they're worth to the team in exchange.

If either help win any single game they're worth more than the 6th or 7th round pick they'd pull in a trade. And you know they're going to factor heavily as the season wears on.

We have a situation that will make average RBs look much better then they are. We should take advantage of it. I'd move McFadden if we got a decent offer.

Cowboysrock55 said:

We have a situation that will make average RBs look much better then they are. We should take advantage of it. I'd move McFadden if we got a decent offer.

Click to expand...

We wouldn't get a 5th, and anything less wouldn't be worth the loss. It would have to be player depth.

I don't know why, but this almost seems like a really awkward way that the team is actually trying to drum up interest.

Oh yes, we had a lot of interest.....but we're not interested (unless you call......please call)

junk said:

I don't know why, but this almost seems like a really awkward way that the team is actually trying to drum up interest.

Oh yes, we had a lot of interest.....but we're not interested (unless you call......please call)

Click to expand...

I kind of agree.

Morris was a guy practically nobody even bothered with until we signed him.

junk said:

I don't know why, but this almost seems like a really awkward way that the team is actually trying to drum up interest.

Oh yes, we had a lot of interest.....but we're not interested (unless you call......please call)

Click to expand...

It could be, although I can't remember the last time the Cowboys really tried to do something like that. We basically never trade away our own players for picks. Jerry values his own guys too much to be smart in that capacity.

Cowboysrock55 said:

It could be, although I can't remember the last time the Cowboys really tried to do something like that. We basically never trade away our own players for picks. Jerry values his own guys too much to be smart in that capacity.

Click to expand...

He really doesn't. He clutches them all to his bosom until their value evaporates. Seen it over and over again.

He has no sense for talent nor does he for the timing of shopping that talent.

He's a buyer, not a seller. His salesmanship does not fly very well with the rest of the NFL.

There is a reason why practically every trade he has tried post-Johnson has failed miserably.

Terry Glenn is about the only player I can say we have stolen from anyone post-Johnson and there are zero that I can say we were able to trade for anything of substance.

boozeman said:

He really doesn't. He clutches them all to his bosom until their value evaporates. Seen it over and over again.

He has no sense for talent nor does he for the timing of shopping that talent.

He's a buyer, not a seller. His salesmanship does not fly very well with the rest of the NFL.

There is a reason why practically every trade he has tried post-Johnson has failed miserably.

Terry Glenn is about the only player I can say we have stolen from anyone post-Johnson and there are zero that I can say we were able to trade for anything of substance.

Click to expand...

I feel like McClain has been a bit of a steal, but not the same caliber as Glenn.

We've definitely been on the worse side of almost every trade though. Whether it was giving away Fasano for a song, trading Antonio Bryant for Quincy Morgan, trading for Roy Williams, or giving away picks for Butler, Micheal, and Cassel.

We did trade Henry for Kitna, which was a decent value I'd say.

townsend said:

I feel like McClain has been a bit of a steal, but not the same caliber as Glenn.

We've definitely been on the worse side of almost every trade though. Whether it was giving away Fasano for a song, trading Antonio Bryant for Quincy Morgan, trading for Roy Williams, or giving away picks for Butler, Micheal, and Cassel.

We did trade Henry for Kitna, which was a decent value I'd say.

Click to expand...

How is McClain a steal? I played well in 2014, sucked dick last year and now he is back again.

We lose trades, period. Might break even occasionally as we did with Henry, but the incredible stupid ones like the Galloway and Williams trade really make it very apparent that Jones can't judge talent.

Even while people say this team has "talent", he can't trade it. Then he holds onto that talent for a year and let's them go.

boozeman said:

How is McClain a steal? I played well in 2014, sucked dick last year and now he is back again.

We lose trades, period. Might break even occasionally as we did with Henry, but the incredible stupid ones like the Galloway and Williams trade really make it very apparent that Jones can't judge talent.

Even while people say this team has "talent", he can't trade it. Then he holds onto that talent for a year and let's them go.

Click to expand...

We paid a 6th round pick for a 2014 starter, one that was instrumental in our playoff run. Even if he had walked away as a free agent I'd consider that a steal consider how essential he was that one year.

But yeah, for the most part we've been shit at trades.

boozeman said:

He really doesn't. He clutches them all to his bosom until their value evaporates. Seen it over and over again.

He has no sense for talent nor does he for the timing of shopping that talent.

He's a buyer, not a seller. His salesmanship does not fly very well with the rest of the NFL.

There is a reason why practically every trade he has tried post-Johnson has failed miserably.

Terry Glenn is about the only player I can say we have stolen from anyone post-Johnson and there are zero that I can say we were able to trade for anything of substance.

Click to expand...

The one time he did the sensible thing and let ware walk. The player continued producing. Now he thinks he can't let anyone go.

I can't remember the last time we traded our own player for anything. It's like we value our own players way too much. The last one I can think of was Lissemore and we got shit for him and were going to cut him anyway.

In general non-draft day trades are rare and marginally benefit either party.

Unless it's a starting marquee position player, you're not going to get what they're worth.

Having Elliott, McFadden, and Morris is going to pay dividends.

Remember last year when Randle, Dunbar, and McFadden were all hurt and we were starting camp bodies in preseason?

Being 3 deep at RB isn't the worst thing.

townsend said:

Remember last year when Randle, Dunbar, and McFadden were all hurt and we were starting camp bodies in preseason?

Being 3 deep at RB isn't the worst thing.

Click to expand...

Exactly. They all need time and will want to make the most of their opportunities.

You know Morris and McFadden aren't going to make it easy for the coaches to sit them. No pro wants to be shown up by a rookie.

Play those three right, and by the end of the year, who'll be stronger and healthier at RB than Dallas?

I can't think of any compelling reason you wouldn't trade McFadden. For whatever.

Genghis Khan said:

I can't think of any compelling reason you wouldn't trade McFadden. For whatever.

Click to expand...

Because he is the only capable backup who can play all 3 downs on a full-time basis if needed and is cheap.

That is a very compelling reason.

And I am no fan of McFadden.

townsend said:

Remember last year when Randle, Dunbar, and McFadden were all hurt and we were starting camp bodies in preseason?

Being 3 deep at RB isn't the worst thing.

Click to expand...

If we could've gotten anything of value in return I'd have been for it. But I doubt we'd have received more than a 6th or 7th so I'm fine with having all three.