Derrick Brown / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

With multiple players exiting and only Eric Kendricks joining the roster, this has been an awful offseason for the Dallas Cowboys — even if the Jones family wants to pretend it’s been going according to plan. Jerry Jones and his son Stephen went from bad to worse when they decided to play chicken with Dak Prescott during contract negotiations.

There are multiple players the Cowboys will regret passing on during free agency but they could still salvage this offseason by making at least one of these three trades.

3. Kelvin Beachum, OT, Arizona Cardinals

With Tyron Smith heading to the New York Jets this offseason, the Cowboys are hurting for a starting-caliber left tackle. They could have solved this by moving Tyler Smith to left tackle and having T.J. Bass fight for the left guard position. Bass was solid when called upon in 2023 and while moving him into the starting lineup full-time isn’t guaranteed to have success, it would be better than their plan.

As it stands now, Mike McCarthy says the Cowboys plan to keep Smith at left guard. That means Asim Richards is the top option to play left tackle in 2024, which is less than ideal. Perhaps he surprises everyone but if he can’t handle the job, a veteran with starting experience to fall back on would be ideal.

Enter Kelvin Beachum. A seventh-round pick back in 2012 out of SMU, Beachum has 149 career starts under his belt. He’s played left tackle and right tackle and currently sits behind Jonah Williams, who the Arizona Cardinals signed to a two-year, $30 million deal. Perhaps they would be willing to part with Beachum, who is in the final year of his deal.

2. Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears

As was the case with Tyron Smith, the Cowboys did nothing at all to replace Tony Pollard who left in free agency. Pollard signed a three-year deal with the Tennessee Titans for $24 million. While it’s understandable that Dallas didn’t want to sign Pollard to such a deal, they should have gone out and added someone in free agency.

Sure, they could land a potential starter in the draft but they also have holes at offensive tackle, center, and linebacker. Adding a capable back would have kept them from feeling the pressure to reach for a running back if the top players started coming off the board — which is what they did in the 2017 NFL Draft when they landed Taco Charlton after leaving a massive hole at defensive end.

To avoid a repeat of that disaster, the Cowboys would be wise to get someone who they were comfortable using in a committee with Rico Dowdle. One option could be Khalil Herbert, currently of the Chicago Bears.

Herbert has been with the Chicago Bears for the past three seasons and has 1,775 rushing yards and eight touchdowns to go along with 287 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 43 receptions. He’s typically worked with another back but has done well when he’s been utilized, averaging 4.9 yards per carry in his career.

Chicago signed D’Andre Swift this offseason and they also have Roschon Johnson who was added in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. With Herbet entering the final year of his deal, he could be someone who is made available in trade and would be a huge help for the Cowboys offense.

1. Derrick Brown, DT, Carolina Panthers

Dallas had a very opportunistic defense that was especially tough to beat at home. However, they continued to have one weakness — their inability to stop the run.

Their loss to the Green Bay Packers in the postseason highlighted this as Aaron Jones had his way for the entire 60 minutes. To combat their issues against the run, the Cowboys have done nothing this offseason. In fact, they got worse with Johnathan Hankins leaving in free agency.

They could still find a way to salvage things by landing Derrick Brown who is currently on the Carolina Panthers. Brown would be a one-year rental since he’s in the final year of his rookie deal and the Cowboys would be hesitant to pay him long-term. However, he could be exactly what they need to help push Mazi Smith along — and there’s a chance Browns could be available.

Dan Pizzuta of 33rd Team believes Brown is one of the players who could be on the move before the draft. He praises him as a run defender and points out the Cowboys as a team that could benefit from his work in this area.

“Brown was a force against the run in 2023 with 80 tackles that produced a positive play for the defense by EPA, 14th in the league and easily the most among defensive linemen. He made a tackle on 22.1 percent of his run stops, which was the third-highest rate among defensive linemen with at least 500 snaps.”

The question would come down to cost. Dallas could make his contract work under the cap but again, without a long-term deal in place, they don’t need to give up a premium pick. Having said that, a third-round pick would be worth it should that be enough to entice Carolina.