NFL insiders continue to push idea Cowboys will trade up in first round

Rumors continue to fly the Cowboys will trade up

On Friday. the folks at ESPN published a notebook of draft buzz things they are hearing and at one point addressed how many draft-day trades they anticipate in the first round. Matt Miller went with eight which would be incredible theater. In his explanation he offered that the Cowboys (and New York Jets) are among those to watch closely.

**Miller:** Eight. The flat nature of this draft class might make people think there will be fewer trades, but teams I’ve spoken to expect activity due to the fact that there are so few blue-chip-caliber prospects. Like Jordan, I heard from a GM that there could be two trades in the top 10 picks alone. The Cowboys (No. 12) and Jets (No. 16) are two teams to watch in terms of moving up, as teams picking in the teens would like to snag the highly rated players before they’re off the board. Miller’s point, not to speak for him, is that there is a finite amount of worth-it candidates and the Cowboys feel that they are unlikely to land one at 12. That makes sense. Later in the notebook the subject of ceilings and floors was discussed and Field Yates noted that if luck does fall upon the Cowboys that they are the floor for Caleb Downs specifically. **Yates:**The Giants loom at No. 5 as the first logical landing spot for Downs, which would make him the first safety to go in the top 10 since in 2017. It’s hard to envision him getting past the Cowboys at No. 12, as one of the ways Downs would still be available there is if an early run on defenders removes prospects such as David Bailey, Arvell Reese,  and Mansoor Delane from the board. Debating which exact prospect is worth the trade up, obviously without knowing the price to move, generally comes back to the Ohio State Buckeyes (Arvelle Reese, Sonny Styles, and Downs) and David Bailey. Maybe you would toss Mansoor Delane in there as well. If the Cowboys move up it is surely going to be for one of those players, but it is fair to say that the odds of any of them making it to 12 are slim. That seems to be the conclusion that all are coming to. Which of the blue-chips is worth it to you? Which are not? Let us know in the comments below.