DMN Roundtable Discussion

The Cowboys have been known to dangle an active player in trade talks during the draft. Do you anticipate them making anyone available next week? If so, are there any leading candidates?

David Moore: Dangling is one thing. Doing is another. Veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick is whom they dangled this time last year, even though they denied it afterwards. He's now gone. The template: anyone dangled is likely a veteran at a reasonable price whom they don't envision being in their plans beyond the 2018 season. While there are a few players who fit that description, I don't envision anyone being dangled at the moment.

Brandon George: Yes, receivers Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley would be leading candidates for a possible trade during the NFL draft. Since Williams' salary in 2018 is guaranteed, Dallas would have to pay him regardless of whether he's on the roster or released. So, the Cowboys aren't likely to cut him but could look to trade him as they continue to rebuild the receiving corps. Also, Beasley could be in his final season in Dallas as he's entering the last year of his contract in 2018. Beasley struggled to make much of an impact last season and the Cowboys could look to move on from him as well in the draft. Last year, during the draft, the Cowboys were shopping cornerback Orlando Scandrick in trade scenarios. This time around, it could be a pair of veteran receivers.

Jon Machota: I don't. If the Cowboys make any moves next week, I expect it to involve draft picks.

Kate Hairopoulos: Last year they dangled cornerback Orlando Scandrick and then denied, denied, denied it ever happening. I think they'll always be open to a trade, particularly if it can help them accomplish a goal they have for the draft. I don't, though, see many, if any, intriguing names who will be options for the Cowboys to lure other teams in this year.

Now that the Cowboys have made the bold decision to release Dez Bryant, who is under the most pressure to perform: Jerry/Stephen Jones, Jason Garrett, Dak Prescott or Allen Hurns?

DM: Let's take this one by one. While I would like to see Jerry Jones run a curl route, I don't see where he's really under any pressure after this decision. The release has been tied to Stephen Jones moreso than his father. If Bryant posts big numbers elsewhere, he'll hear about it but I wouldn't really call that pressure. Jason Garrett is under pressure to get this team back to the playoffs. If the Cowboys follow-up their 13-3 season in 2016 with two straight years of missing the postseason, you'll see the head coach go the way of Bryant. I wouldn't say Bryant's release adds any pressure because it was there before he was gone. Allen Hurns won't be asked to replace Bryant's production all by himself, even though the statistics for Hurns and Bryant over the last three seasons are similar. He's not the talent Bryant is but that doesn't mean he won't come close to the production. That leaves Dak Prescott. I'd say he has more pressure on him than anyone else. It's no secret that Prescott and Bryant never seemed to click on the field. The organization chose to build the offense around a 24-year-old quarterback and his strengths than a receiver who will turn 30 in November. No matter how sound that reasoning, it squarely places the pressure on Prescott to perform.

BG: Dak Prescott has to be the one with the most pressure on his shoulders to perform now that Dez Bryant has been released. Bryant and Prescott never seemed to be on the same page the last two years and some will say that's part of the reason why the Cowboys moved on from their veteran No. 1 receiver.

With Bryant gone, Prescott will need to find a new primary target and develop a rapport with him right away. Prescott said last week he's already throwing passes to new receiver Allen Hurns. Made me wonder how much he had thrown passes to Bryant earlier this offseason ... any at all? This is a big season for Prescott, who didn't play as well in 2017 as he did as a rookie. Next offseason will be the first time the Cowboys can give him a contract extension. He needs to continue to show the Cowboys he's their franchise quarterback for years to come.

JM: Jason Garrett followed by Dak Prescott. If the Cowboys don't perform, Garrett is likely out of a job, so he's No. 1. Prescott needs to play well, especially early in the season. Can you imagine if Prescott struggles to start the year and Dez Bryant is looking like his 2014 self with another team? Not a great look. Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones aren't under much pressure because they aren't going anywhere even if the Cowboys go 0-16. I don't see Hurns being under a ton of pressure because it's not like he signed a huge contract. Now, if the Cowboys would've signed Sammy Watkins for around $16 million per year, he'd be in the conversation.

KH: The Joneses are the bosses. Hurns is the new guy. So the pressure will be on Garrett and Prescott in 2018. For Garrett, it's impossible to believe he'll be back if the Cowboys don't take the next step this season and win a playoff game, at least. For all the things that went wrong in 2017, they need to go right in 2018. The team had a lot of excuses last season with Tyron Smith's injuries and Ezekiel Elliott's suspension, but the offense can't continue to flounder. Hey, it's Garrett who says excuses make his skin crawl. The team has to show it's better able to deal with adversity when it does occur. For Prescott, the Cowboys are all in, trying to build an offense that best suits him. He and Bryant could never connect as well as they wanted to. Prescott -- a year away from being able to negotiate his mega second contract -- needs to show he can again thrive by utilizing a group of receivers with different skill sets.

The dust appears to have settled on major offseason personnel moves and we're a week out from the draft at AT&T Stadium. What are your final top three positions of need for the Cowboys?

DM: My top three positions are receiver, linebacker and safety. You can make an argument to rank any of those as the top priority. You could also replace safety in my mind with defensive tackle. It's close there. But keep this in mind: Owner Jerry Jones usually leans toward offense as a tie breaker. So does head coach Jason Garrett, who was a backup quarterback in this league for a long time. All things being equal, I believe they'd put receiver at the top of the list.

BG: Well, receiver has climbed near the top of the list now that the Cowboys have moved on from Dez Bryant. Also, I'd put safety, defensive line and linebacker not far behind. The Cowboys will likely use one of their early-round picks on each receiver and safety to fill big needs. But depending who is still available when they select No. 19 overall, it's not out of the question for the Cowboys to go with either a defensive end or linebacker with their first-round choice. The Cowboys are still looking for an elite right-side defensive end to rush the passer. They need help now at linebacker, too, after Anthony Hitchens left in free agency and Jaylon Smith still remains a bit of an unknown as far as how much better he can play coming off of the serious knee injury.

JM: Wide receiver, linebacker and safety. They basically need to replace the spots that belonged to Dez Bryant, Anthony Hitchens and Byron Jones. I can't see them going into the 2018 season without another addition at receiver. Maybe it doesn't come in the first round, but it needs to happen somewhere in the first three or four. They need a linebacker for depth and someone capable of pushing for a starting spot, like Hitchens. At safety, they have an open spot. Between Kris Richard coming in and immediately moving Jones to corner and the Cowboys not filling his open spot via free agency, it really makes me think they're trying to pull off some kind of deal to land either Earl Thomas or Derwin James. The position is more important than ever with the weapons teams have today in the passing game. I'm very intrigued by how they fill that last safety spot.

KH: Receiver, linebacker, safety. The Cowboys don't have to use the first-round pick on a receiver, but they need to get one early to throw into the competitive mix and add to the revamp that's underway with Bryant's release. Going with linebacker doesn't mean I'm out on what Jaylon Smith can be for the Cowboys, but Dallas needs significant depth at the position considering Sean Lee's injury history. A playmaking safety could really elevate the back end of the defense and it's simply a numbers need with Byron Jones moving back to safety.