Proposed Cowboys trade with Bengals shows how big of a dilemma Dallas faces
ESPN proposed a trade involving the Cowboys and Bengals, and our two experts break it down.
Back in August, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones pitched fans Kenny Clark in quite a bold way. His message was that getting Clark as part of the Micah Parsons trade upgraded the defense in the present and not just the future through two first-round picks.
Now, people are wondering if Clark—and mostly, his contract—could be traded for pocket change. That includes ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who recently proposed a trade between the Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals.
Let’s break down the idea with insight from our Cowboys and Bengals experts.
Kenny Clark trade proposal
Barnwell’s proposal is the Cowboys and Bengals perform a Day 3 swap in 2027, with Clark heading up north.
Bengals get: DT Kenny Clark, 2027 seventh-round pick
Cowboys get: 2027 sixth-round pick
“In 2026, though, Clark is set to make $21.5 million — $11 million of which comes due in a mid-March roster bonus,” Barnwell writes in the article. “He projects to have the fifth-largest cap hit of any Cowboys player. The problem is that the fourth-largest cap hit belongs to fellow defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, whom the Cowboys sent two premium picks to the Jets to acquire at the trade deadline. And the sixth-largest cap hit belongs to fellow tackle Osa Odighizuwa, whose $16.25 million base salary is guaranteed.”
Ouch, that hurts for the Cowboys
Rodriguez: Just last week, I wrote about the Cowboys’ $21 million dilemma with Clark. On one hand, dealing him away makes sense. But getting a Day 3 swap in 2027 is close to getting nothing. Not to mention, it’s true they may too many defensive tackles, but that’s about the only defensive position they can be comfortable with heading into the offseason.
Is that worth messing up? In football terms, no, it isn’t.
In financial terms? Not quite as simple.
A $21 million cap hit is a lot for a defensive tackle, specially when you have two other standouts at the position. Ultimately, something needs to be done about Clark’s contract. The Cowboys and Clark both know he would be unlikely to find a similar contract in the open market. Thus, is a pay cut be a possibility?
If Clark wants to stick around in Dallas and play alongside Williams and Odighizuwa, it should be. Then again, he better like the city and his teammates if that’s the case. The Cowboys just had one of the worst defenses in the NFL and there will be a new coaching staff in place. This is to say, Clark could realistically refuse.
In that scenario, it’s likely the Cowboys don’t want to carry his cap hit and instead use those resources elsewhere. They have no shortage of team needs. If that means getting rid of Clark for a simple 2027 Day 3 swap, so be it. But it will sting.
It makes sense for the Bengals
Sheeran: This trade makes a lot of sense for the Bengals for the right reasons.
The obvious talking point is Clark has played under Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, much like their nose tackle T.J. Slaton Jr., and the former first-round pick is a quality run-stopping interior player who would give Cincinnati a real asset to its defense.
The true realism in this deal lies in the financials and compensation. Clark’s 2027 salary is not guaranteed, so the Bengals would love the flexibility as a franchise that doesn’t guarantee future money. They also prefer pick-swaps instead of losing draft picks in exchange for players.
Yes, a future sixth-round pick is technically more valuable than a future seventh, but Cincinnati not having to lose any volume to its 2027 draft class would be a win for the club. If they can accept Clark’s new average annual value of $20.75 million, I could actually see this happening in real life.
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