March 30, 2026, 10:09 p.m. CT

To be tradable, a player must be two things: expendable by the team trading, and desirable for a team acquiring. From there deals are struck as value is debated. Sometimes common ground can be found and sometimes both sides are stuck at an impasse.

As the Dallas Cowboys approach the 2026 NFL draft, they must decide which players on their current roster fit their long-term plans and which players would be more useful flipped for fresh draft picks. As a returning 7-9-1 team, the Cowboys can hardly afford to ship starters off in trade scenarios. They have starting holes to fill; not holes to create so only under the right circumstances would a stater be on the trade block.

Role players are the most tradeable assets on the Cowboys because role players are the most expendable. What they fetch in return might underwhelm, but that’s something to consider when weighing the long-term health of the organization.

Luke Schoonmaker, TE

Schoonmaker, a former second-round pick out of Michigan, has been an underachiever throughout his time in Dallas. Rotating behind TE1 Jake Ferguson, he’s maintained a steady role on the Cowboys but has never been able to live up to his draft status.

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Teams looking for a well-rounded Y with strong athletic traits and a plug-and-play skill set would be interested. Under contract for one more season of his rookie deal, Schoonmaker doesn’t require massive commitment and could fetch a Day 3 draft pick in return. In an ultra-deep draft class of tight ends, the Cowboys may opt to draft and develop his replacement while their trading partner looks for something more immediately ready.

KaVontae Turpin, WR, PR, KR

The Cowboys tried to expand Turpin’s role in 2025 and in some ways it worked and in other ways it failed. Turpin posted career numbers on offense, but miscues and drops were littered throughout. His return ability also suffered with Turpin collecting uncharacteristic penalties and a perceived loss of confidence along the way.

Even coming off a down year, Turpin is highly valued around the NFL. His game-breaking speed is unmistakable and with a contract that runs through 2027, he should garner a pretty decent return from a team looking for juice. The Cowboys may not want to lose him in their return game but offensively they can take the hit. CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy demand opportunities and there already aren’t enough balls to go around. A fourth-round pick might get this deal done.

Malik Hooker, SAF

Hooker signed a revised deal this offseason to stay in Dallas one more year. The veteran safety from Ohio State is coming off a disappointing season and looks to rebuild his value in Christian Parker’s new system. As a top two safety on the Cowboys, Dallas can hardly afford to lose Hooker now, but if a top tier safety prospect falls to them in the 2026 NFL draft, that can all change in a hurry.

Hooker is a starting quality safety in the NFL, so he brings value even coming off a down season. It stands to reason a mid-to-late Day 3 draft pick would be suitable compensation for a player of his worth and could allow the Cowboys to start fresh at safety while another team gets veteran stability from a proven single high safety.  

Jaydon Blue, RB

When the Cowboys drafted Blue in 2025, expectations were through the roof. Javonte Williams was a modest veteran with speed concerns and Blue brought game-breaking ability in both phases of the game. His rise to starter seemed inevitable. Alas, it was not inevitable and Blue struggled to even make the active roster.

After a strong showing in Week 18, Blue saved some face, but it probably wasn’t enough to boost his value any more than a seventh-round pick swap. He’s absolutely expendable to Dallas but he’s not valuable to others. He’s tradeable but the Cowboys are probably better off seeing this one through the next couple seasons.

Caelen Carson, CB

When the Cowboys drafted Carson in the fifth round of the 2024 draft, they thought they got a steal. And for a brief moment, he was. But injuries led to inconsistency and Carson has been anything but a stable rotational piece for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys refreshed their depth chart at cornerback this offseason so they could certainly survive his loss. Carson’s 6-foot, 195-pound size and film from his days at Wake Forest give him some value, but expecting anything other than a late Day 3 pick would probably be naive. Like Blue, this probably isn’t a trade worth making for the Cowboys.

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