The Dallas Cowboys offseason is winding down just as NBA free agency is heating up. One thing we often see in the NBA is three-team trades which is not common in the NFL. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put together a list of hypothetical multiple-franchise NFL trade proposals. One of the intriguing deals includes the Cowboys, Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals.
The Cowboys trade wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a 2025 third-round pick for Lions wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones, Detroit running back Craig Reynolds, Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker, and a 2026 third-round pick (via Lions).
The Cardinals are sending star safety Budda Baker to Detroit in this wild three-team trade proposal. Arizona nets Cooks, the Cowboys 2025 third rounder and a 2025 fifth-round selection (via Lions).
Let’s dive into whether this proposed deal makes sense for the Cowboys.
Hendon Hooker Fell to the Lions in the 3rd Round of the 2023 NFL Draft
The most remarkable aspect of the transaction is that Dallas acquired a 26-year-old quarterback in Hooker. Fans may recall Hooker as a brilliant collegiate quarterback at Tennessee. Hooker slid to the third round of the 2023 NFL draft after suffering a ruptured ACL on November 19, 2022, which ended his last season with the Vols. Despite the injuries, Hooker has thrown for a career-high 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only two interceptions in 11 games. Hooker also demonstrated a major threat with his legs, racking up at least 600 running yards and 5 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021. Prior to his ACL surgery, the playmaking quarterback rushed for 430 yards and five touchdowns in 2022.
