The Dallas Cowboys are 2-4, and owner Jerry Jones says they’re more likely to be buyers than sellers ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Considering how much the defense needs help, that’s music to the ears of Cowboys fans.

So let’s go shopping.

I fired up the A to Z Sports trade simulator, which assigns a value to every player and every draft pick around the league. You put two teams side by side, add players and picks, and try to land the deal in the green “fair trade” zone. For reference, the Cowboys’ 2027 first-round pick comes in at roughly 1,400 points.

Jones did leave the door open to selling under one specific scenario. We’ll get to that at the end.

Tuli Tuipulotu is the dream target

If I could pick one player for Dallas to land, it’s Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu. He’s 24 years old, he’s looking like a rising star, and he fits what the Cowboys have targeted in recent in-season trades: players who could have a future with the franchise. And if there’s one thing this defense needs right now, it’s edge rusher help.

The simulator values Tuipulotu at 602 points. Dropping the Cowboys’ second-round pick in there turned it into a big win for the Chargers, so I went with future picks instead.

The package that lands in the fair zone:

•  Cowboys get: EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu  
• Chargers get: 2028 third-round pick, 2027 fourth-round pick

I’m in on this deal. It doesn’t wreck the Cowboys’ future, and I’d take it all day long. Would the Chargers actually do it, though? I’d be surprised. They could extend Tuipulotu and make him a foundational piece of their defense, and that’s what I would do in their shoes.

Alex Highsmith, the Steelers Plus special

Let’s be honest, the Cowboys are basically subscribed to Steelers Plus at this point. George Pickens, Broderick Jones, and Joey Porter Jr. have all come over from Pittsburgh, so there should be some kind of frequent customer discount.

The simulator doesn’t account for that, unfortunately. All kidding aside, Alex Highsmith comes in at 1,061 points, which makes him far more expensive than Tuipulotu (which is a surprise to me but makes sense due to contract situation). 

I don’t want to touch the 2027 first-rounder. A 2027 second-round pick gets close, and the simulator shows Dallas coming out ahead by 252 points, so the gap is clear. You could bundle a bunch of late picks to close it, but realistic trades rarely come together that way.

• Cowboys get: EDGE Alex Highsmith  
• Steelers get: 2027 second-round pick, 2027 fourth-round pick (originally Pittsburgh’s)

Is that too expensive for a 2-4 team? I think so. But if the Cowboys are going to be buyers, they can’t go halfway. Go big.

Why Josh Sweat doesn’t excite me

Here’s what I’d avoid. Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat is worth 477 points, fewer than either Tuipulotu or Highsmith, and it’s still tough for Dallas to get there. A 2027 second is way too much. The fair version looks like this:

• Cowboys get: EDGE Josh Sweat  
• Cardinals get: 2027 fourth-round pick, 2028 fourth-round pick

A 2028 third and a sixth-rounder also works, and that even leans Cowboys. My issue is the player. I’m looking at the numbers and the film, and I’m not seeing the Josh Sweat from 2025. The simulator factors in production, and his production this year hasn’t been there.

That’s a big part of why I like the tool. Sometimes it tells you a guy is pricier than you’d think, and sometimes it tells you whether you like the player at all.

Jordyn Brooks for a bargain?

You know this name because we’ve talked about him all offseason. The Miami Dolphins extended Jordyn Brooks, so I’d be hesitant to say they want to move a young piece of their future. Still, the speculation has been out there.

Brooks is valued at 351 points. The Cowboys’ 2028 third falls just short, and the Dolphins may not love a pick that far out anyway. Surprisingly, the 2027 fourth carries similar value.

•  Cowboys get: LB Jordyn Brooks  
• Dolphins get: 2027 fourth-round pick, 2028 sixth-round pick

The simulator says that leans Dolphins. I don’t care. I’d make the deal in a heartbeat. The real question is whether Miami gives up Brooks for a non-premium pick, and I’m skeptical.

What about selling?

Jones said Dallas would consider selling for a Micah Parsons-type return. The only Cowboys with that kind of value are Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.

Lamb comes in at 3,400 points. The Kansas City Chiefs need a receiver, but their first-round pick is only worth 1,000 points, so two firsts still leaves them 1,300 short. Add All-Pro type center Creed Humphrey (Dallas already has Cooper Beebe) and it finally registers as fair.

Two first-round picks and Humphrey for Lamb? I don’t love it. And that’s before you factor in the financial complications of moving Lamb.

That’s the bigger takeaway here. Jones can say he’s open to a Parsons-like deal, but I don’t see one out there. The buying side is where the Cowboys can actually make a difference.