NFL Week 4 best bets: Consider Commanders and Packers on Sunday
Need help with your picks? Lorenzo Reyes explains what makes the odds for Commanders-Falcons, Chargers-Giants and Packers-Cowboys so enticing.
The season is just three games old, but already it feels like the Dallas Cowboys could have to be deciding whether to buy or sell with trades as they get ready for Micah Parsons’ return with the Green Bay Packers.
In other words, do they go find help that can make them immediately better, or do they start trading away players for draft picks to aid in a rebuild?
Jerry Jones’ way is always to swing for something right now, and on cue, a rumor has popped up linking Dallas to a former first-round pick who might be unloaded.
Dallas Cowboys, Xavier Legette trade rumors
The last pick of the first round of the 2024 draft, the Carolina Panthers‘ Xavier Legette has mostly been a disappointment. He did start 13 games last year as a rookie and now this year has four catches for eight yards. He is also currently dealing with what seems to be a minor injury.
But he was obviously a star at South Carolina when he did enough to land in the first round, and Bleacher Reports’s Kristopher Knox thinks either Dallas or Cleveland could be a potential landing spot. He projects that would entail giving up a third-round pick in the 2026 draft, which at this point is far more value than Legette has shown.
Reid D Hanson of the USA Today’s Cowboys Wire certainly thinks Dallas shouldn’t be giving up draft picks. He writes: “If anything, the Cowboys should be looking to move players OFF their roster. Veterans who don’t factor into the future like Dante Fowler, Jalen Tolbert, Luke Schoonmaker, Sam Williams, Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson, Jack Sanborn, etc… could all be traded for low-level draft compensation. Doing so wouldn’t just net Dallas a draft return, but it would also clear the way for younger players to get on the field and test their mettle.”
Bye bye Zion Childress
A day after the Houston Texans released safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, sparking rumors Dallas could make a move to sign him (it hasn’t happened year), the Texans picked up cornerback Zion Childress off of Dallas’ practice squad. Per NFL rules, everyone on a practice squad is a free agent for every team in the league.
The undrafted receiver from Kentucky (by way of Texas State) wasn’t good enough to crack the active roster for the team with the worst secondary in the league but he’ll get a chance with Houston.
Jerry Jones: Cowboys won’t honor Micah Parsons Sunday night
With Micah Parsons returning to Dallas on Sunday night with the Green Bay Packers, speculation arose that the Cowboys might take a moment to honor him, similar to the tribute they paid to Emmitt Smith in 2003 when he returned to Dallas with the Arizona Cardinals.
That won’t be happening Sunday.
“I don’t think that’s appropriate this week,” Jones said. “Emmitt’s a different story. That’s not to diminish Micah, but I think Micah’s got enough welcome out there.”
Dallas Cowboys Iron Man helmet
An unidentified Cowboy fan went viral online in a custom-made Iron Man helmet at AT&T Stadium, featuring a faceplate that opens and closes. The helmet features Dallas’ star in the silver and blue colors of the Cowboys.
Here he is drinking a beer. A Google search on Dallas Cowboys Iron Man helmet does quite well.
Alas, there is no indication of how to buy one of those, though there are complicated instructions on how someone can build their own.
Dallas Cowboys schedule 2025
The Dallas Cowboys have kicked off their 17-game, 18-week 2025 schedule. Here is what it looks like.
Home games in bold
1 Thu. Sept. 4 at Philadelphia 24, Dallas 20
2 Sun. Sept. 14 Dallas 40, New York Giants 37, OT
3 Sun. Sept. 21 at Chicago, 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m. CT, FOX
4 Sun. Sept. 28 Green Bay, 6:20 p.m. MT/7:20 p.m. CT, NBC
5 Sun. Oct. 5 at New York Jets, 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
6 Sun. Oct. 12 at Carolina, 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
7 Sun. Oct. 19 Washington, 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m. CT, FOX
8 Sun. Oct. 26 at Denver, 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m. CT, CBS
9 Mon, Nov. 3 Arizona, 6:15 p.m. MT/7:15 p.m. CT, ABC/ESPN
10 BYE WEEK
11 Mon. Nov. 17 at Las Vegas, 6:15 p.m. MT/7:15 p.m. CT, ABC/ESPN
12 Sun. Nov. 23 Philadelphia, 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m. CT, FOX
13 Thu. Nov. 27 Kansas City, 2:30 p.m. MT/3:30 p.m. CT, CBS
14 Thu. Dec. 4 at Detroit, 6:15 p.m. MT/7:15 p.m. CT, Prime Video
15 Sun, Dec. 14 Minnesota, 6:20 p.m. MT/7:20 p.m. CT, NBC
16. Sun. Dec. 21 Los Angeles Chargers, 11 a.m. MT/noon CT FOX
17. Thu. Dec. 25 at Washington, 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, Netflix
18. TBD at New York Giants, TBD
Thursday Night Football
The Arizona Cardinals host the Seattle Seahawks at 6:15 p.m. MT/7:15 p.m. CT on Amazon Prime.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.