In his early NFL trade deadline preview, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN made a statement no Cowboys fan wanted to hear: "The Cowboys are not expected to be major movers at the deadline, barring surprise. They are content with the roster as currently constructed."
As currently constructed, the Dallas Cowboys couldn't get within 32 points of a 49ers team that just lost back-to-back games to the Browns and Vikings.
Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones wasn't exactly talking aggressively about the deadline on Friday.
"Anybody who knows us knows we're always open for business," Jones said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. "We've been in here 30 years. It's just having something that makes sense.
"For a player to come in and help this team right now, it's more than likely, unfortunately, it's gonna probably be somebody who is an established guy and he's usually well paid and they probably want a lot for him. That makes it a challenge."
Jones used Brandin Cooks as an example. The Cowboys tried to bring him in last season but couldn't get the agreement done. They settled with adding him as a free agent this March.
But Cooks is also a good example of why, if Dallas is truly open for business, they should make the moves that will bring them a Super Bowl while they still can. The Cowboys could have used Cooks in January when their offense fell short against the 49ers in the playoffs. They didn't have him.
So what trades out there should the Cowboys target, even if it's hard?
3. Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins
Speaking of moves the Cowboys didn't make, failing to add DeAndre Hopkins this offseason is looking like a mistake. It can be rectified by trading with the Titans.
Dallas' receiving corps is still far to reliant on CeeDee Lamb to carry the load alone. It's too easy for opposing defenses to key on him with little to worry about across the rest of the lineup.
Hopkins has more receiving yards than Michael Gallup and Cooks combined in a more limited passing offense in Tennessee. He would have been a strong addition to the receiving corps, even at 31 years old.
2. Vikings LB Jordan Hicks
The Cowboys are down a linebacker with Leighton Vander Esch out for the next few weeks with a neck injury. Dallas hopes to get the 26-year-old back from IR at some point this season but it may be closer to December by the time that happens. Plus, neck injuries aren't the most straight forward issues to recover from. This is a player who has missed regular time due to injury — including other neck injuries — throughout his career.
So the Cowboys should look to hedge their bets somewhat when it comes to planning on his return.
Aside from replacing or adding insurance for Vander Esch, Dallas needs help in the run game. They should look no further than Jordan Hicks with the Vikings.
Hicks has been a solid run stopper for the Vikings and a quality defender in general. He's in the final year of his two-year deal with Minnesota so there would be no long-term commitment.
The Vikings may not be willing to move Hicks unless they slip up again before the deadline, but pursuing a veteran linebacker would be a smart move for the Cowboys.
1. Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson
Jeremy Fowler's feature on the trade deadline made it clear that Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is of interest to teams in the market for a cornerback, but Chicago hasn't made him available. That shouldn't stop the Cowboys from being proactive and seeing what it would take to get the 24-year-old who is in the final year of his rookie contract.
Pro Football Focus has Johnson graded as the second-best cornerback with more than 200 snaps played this year. His coverage grade is tops among those with extensive playing time.
With Trevon Diggs out for the rest of the season, the Cowboys need another shutdown corner to come in and get them to the Super Bowl.
If Johnson isn't available, CBS's Tyler Sullivan proposed a trade for disgruntled Patriots defensive back Jalen Mills, whose veteran versatility could be of use to the Cowboys as depth at cornerback or safety.
Either way, Dallas needs to put their money where their mouth is and prove they're willing to get the hard deal done if it can get them closer to the promised land.
