Are Cowboys out of the running in Dolphins trade for DB Minkah?

Are Cowboys out of the running in Dolphins trade for DB Minkah?

FRISCO - If the Dallas Cowboys are unwilling to engage in a first-round bidding war for Minkah Fitzpatrick, they'll lose out on the trade-bait defensive back to at least three NFL teams that are willing to engage..

That's the word from South Florida via the trusted Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who writes that it would be a "surprise'' if Fitzpatrick is still a Dolphin by next Sunday, when his woeful 0-2 team is scheduled to play at Dallas, riding high at 2-0 after another pounding of an NFC East foe, this one by a 31-21 score at Washington.

Salguero reports, "The Dolphins have been talking with three teams who are seriously interested in the former No. 11 overall selection, according to sources. The Dallas Cowboys, interested early on, have dropped out of the derby and would have to do much work to make up the ground they’ve lost to those three teams.''

It's certainly accurate to portray as "reluctant'' a Cowboys team that found it painful (but now fruitful) to give up a first-rounder a year ago for receiver Amari Cooper. Of course, at the time, Dallas management thought a quality receiver would be the future pick ... and Dallas was 3-4 at the time, a season slipping away.

This time around? Safety is a position at which the Cowboys try to avoid over-spending in terms of capital. 

There were a lot of questions and answers regarding Minkah and the Cowboys entering the weekend; we believe we've answered them here.

And now, barring a Dallas change of direction, we seem to have yet another answer. The Herald writes that "the Dolphins are certain -- certain! -- they’re going to get a first-round draft pick for the defensive back. And they’re confident they might get an extra piece of compensation in the deal as well -- perhaps a player, or maybe a lower-round draft pick.''

That’s moved pretty fast. And the Cowboys? They seem content for the moment to make their moves in the NFL standings. And with the Dolphins next on the schedule? No matter who Minkah is playing for on Sunday, Dallas -- a 17-point favorite -- is intent on continuing to move on up.