Naturally, this is all hypothetical. It’s conjecture. It is also unexpected.
However, given how the Cowboys’ offseason has gone, it makes sense as well, so it’s at least something to think about: According to a suggested deal, the Cowboys website of USA Today envisions Dallas sending its star quarterback to the Raiders in exchange for a substantial sum of money that would enable the team to fully embark on a reconstruction.
The parcel under consideration? It is based on what the Lions received when they traded Matthew Stafford to the Rams in exchange for Jared Goff.
Aidan O’Connell, who started as a rookie last season before taking over as the starter, would return to the Cowboys.
They would also receive the Raiders’ second-round selection (44th overall), their fourth-round pick (112th), and the No. 13 pick in this year’s draft.
The Raiders’ 2025 first- and third-round selections, along with a 2026 second-round choice, would then be awarded to them.
Five of those six selections are in the first three rounds.
Prescott is entering the last year of his contract, and while the Cowboys haven’t done anything to try to re-sign him, shipping him away would be hard to accept.
Why not trade him for a sizable haul now if the intention is to let him to enter free agency in the upcoming offseason?
Is Aidan O’Connell of the Raiders Worth a Try?
Writer K.D. Drummond offers the following reasoning for selling Dak away:”Why would Dallas only contract Prescott for one season and receive a third-round compensatory consideration (the selection isn’t guaranteed) in 2026 if they aren’t going to sign him to an extension? In the event that Dallas does not choose a quarterback in this draft, O’Connell will face Trey Lance in training camp for the position of QB1.
Now, O’Connell did have some potential during the Raiders’ 2017 campaign, but he also had some significant flaws.
Even for a rookie, he is a reliable passer with some leadership abilities. In addition, he frequently lacks movement and hangs onto the ball for too long.
Despite being sacked 24 times, O’Connell finished the season 5-5 as a starter and completed 2,218 yards of passing, or 201.6 per game.
The Raiders finished 3-1 in O’Connell’s last four games, during which he threw eight touchdowns and no interceptions. In seven contests, he recorded a quarterback rating of 98.4, amply demonstrating his late-season progress.
Dak Prescott and Cowboys: No Development on an Extension
Naturally, the goal of sending Prescott away is not to get O’Connell; rather, it is to start over for a Cowboys squad that has struggled in the postseason, most notably in their 48-32 loss to the Packers in January.
In O’Connell’s past four games, the Raiders went 3-1 with him throwing eight touchdowns and no interceptions. He had a quarterback rating of 98.4 in seven games, which clearly showed his improvement in the latter part of the season.
Cowboys and Dak Prescott: No Progress on an Extension
Naturally, the intention of Prescott’s departure is not to get O’Connell, but rather to give a Cowboys team that has struggled in the postseason—most notably, a 48-32 defeat to the Packers in January—a fresh start.
According to sources aware of the deal, NFL.com stated on Tuesday that “the Cowboys and Prescott have a mutual understanding that there will be no adjustment to his contract entering the 2024 season.”
Clearly, if 2024 does not turn out to be the dream team, the Cowboys are thinking about trading players to clean off the roster.
If that’s the case, though, they may as well take advantage of the high value of their trade pieces and do it now.
