Dan Orlovsky warns Cowboys’ star players may request trades after quiet offseason and coaching changes
The Cowboys' new coaching hires may lead to players asking for trades in the offseason as they embark on another rebuilding phase, which might pose a dilemma for owner Jerry Jones.
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Jerry Jones and Dan Orlovsky (Image via IMAGO/X)
The Super Bowl hasn’t been a concern for the Dallas Cowboys for more than 30 years because they are on an eternal rebuild that never seems to end. There are still ways to go before the 2025 off-season, but Jerry Jones quickly made changes to the coaching room, appointing Brian Schottenheimer as head coach, Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator, and Klayton Adams as offensive coordinator.
On paper, these aren’t inspiring signings. Jones himself agreed that choosing Schottenheimer over someone like Deion Sanders or Pete Carroll is a massive risk, but it’s a risk he is willing to take considering the 51-year-old’s experience working with Carroll in Seattle.
Eberflus is no stranger to the Cowboys culture as he spent as the linebackers coach for five seasons (2011-2015). However, he was sacked by the Chicago Bears as their head coach in November after winning just four games out of 12.
The Cowboys poached Adams from the Arizona Cardinals, where he was the offensive line coach. According to NFLLines.com, the Cardinals’ O-line had a 69% pass-blocking rate in 2024 (in the top 10) while the Cowboys lingered in the bottom half.
Considering this, former NFL quarterback/ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky asked a valid question during a recent segment of NFL Live. Orlovsky feared that some of the Cowboys’ star players may ask for a trade because of the changes.
If I was a player, I would be very discouraged right now. I really would with just the way this off-season has gone and the way last off-season went. They handled the situation with Mike McCarthy hiring Brian Schottenheimer… My question, I guess the most in my mind is what Star asks out. I know it doesn’t happen in Dallas, but what star looks at this situation and which one of their fix, six and seven best player looks at this situation and truly feels like they got a chance.
Dan Orlovsky said via NFL on ESPN
Jerry Jones’ trade moves are far from helpful for the Cowboys
The 2024 off-season conundrum is still fresh in the minds of every Cowboys supporter. Jones took ages to decide whether to keep McCarthy or move on and left until the last moment to make Dak Prescott the highest-paid player in the NFL and CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys’ best-paid receiver. As a result, Jones failed to add skill players and replace injured players.
Jones will face a similar situation again in a couple of months when Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs’ contracts run out. There have been massive speculations that Parsons may ask for a trade to rival Philadelphia Eagles because of his affiliation with Pennsylvania, as he went to college there.
"If I was a player in their locker room, I would be very discouraged right now."@danorlovsky7 on the Cowboys' offseason moves 👀 pic.twitter.com/XlOy7Ed4mQ
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 31, 2025
Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones even agreed that Parsons is one of the best players in the league, but declined to comment on his future at Arlington.
I don’t want to get into the details [of] early, late, when all that comes. Too early for any of that, but obviously Micah is an important part of what we’re about.
Stephen Jones said via Yahoo Sports
Orlovsky’s ESPN colleague and former Panthers quarterback Cam Newton proposed an interesting theory. Newton argued that Jones hired a completely new coaching team after witnessing the Patriots in 2024, who fired their rookie head coach after one year.
Moreover, the former Panther believes the Cowboys are secretly tanking because they want to draft Texas QB Archie Manning in 2026. Newton always proposes interesting theories, but considering that Jerry Jones is involved in all of this, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities.
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Ishan Misra
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